Foundlings: A New Start
by PokeTrainer
Summary: AU In another universe, she had been left alone, dying on the streets of the village. Here, sapphire met with crimson eyes and they ran. Orphaned together, they create a new family in meeting one Uzumaki Naruto. OC
1. Beginnings: Escape

Chapter 1: Escape

0o00o0

Five days. Five days and she still wouldn't be quiet. The idea was so farfetched, how did she believe it would work? They were only kids. A runaway job would probably kill them. Yet here she was actually considering it. Here she was: lying nearly passed out on a hospital bed. Part of her actually regretted waiting this long. How could she have been so foolish as to believe they wouldn't treat her the way they had her mother. Her mother had died because of them. What would keep them from killing her the same way?

Her mother and she had both had a special trait: a very strong life force. As such, she had a great deal of stamina and chakra reserves especially for a child of her age. When people bit down on her, healing would be almost instantaneous. Why did they believe the doctors of Kusagakure would not exploit that? As Iryou-nin they should have realized that forcing her mother to take on too many patients would be exhausting. They should have realized she was running low and could not do much more. They should have realized that she needed rest. They should have realized that before she took her last breathe. Maybe then she wouldn't have been alone in the world anymore. Now she planned on making them realize this: she was not her mother.

She would not fall into the same trap. She quickly learned her limits, ready to throw a fit in the case they forced more onto her. She was a child, she would get away with it. They wouldn't want to kill her in the same way after all. That didn't stop them from using her powers however, and more than she liked to admit: she was exhausted. The bites stung as her arms quivered from the amount of bite marks left. Damn civilians didn't know how to treat a child. All they cared about was their own selfish lives.

Perhaps this was why she couldn't help but reflect on what her self-proclaimed friend had told her. The girl was one of their first patients upon arriving. Apparently she had been close to death. If they had arrived any later, the chances of her survival would have slimmed greatly. When the girl awoke, she never left her alone, thanking her profusely. Her mother was glad, letting them go off to play. The girl in return would show her a collection of songs and scratched cds she's come across in living in Kusa. That had been months ago.

She stared up at the ceiling, glaring tiredly. Chakra exhaustion, she likely wouldn't be able to move for a few days. This was not how she wanted to live. She could barely turn her head to face the young girl in front of her, slowly dozing off to the unusual quietness of the hospital room. The girl's lavender hair fell in front of her face as her body drooped forward bit by bit. She began to cough a bit, startling the girl as she turned and faced her.

"Uzumaki-chan, you okay?" She fixed her lavender hair lightly, rustling in her seat. The girl never could sit still unless she was dead tired.

"Yes, Yuko-san. But I've been thinking…" she trailed off, shifting her gaze back to the ceiling.

"Thinkin'? About wha'?"

"…I think. I will agree to your plan. Though not tonight. I am still unable to move." Yuko stared at the young Uzumaki with wide eyes before a face splitting grin fell on the girls face. She nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Sweet! I'll… prepare? I think tha' was the word you use…" Uzumaki didn't know how to react to that. Then again, as far as she knew, Yuko had been orphaned far longer than herself. Barely even able to say things correctly and already planning a runaway attempt. They likely were in over their heads at this point. But she saw no other choice in the matter.

"Well… if you can, stop by my place. I do not have much. Just clothes and a picture of me and Mama. Would you please…" Uzumaki did not have to say more as Yuko bounced up and down. Most likely to keep herself awake.

"There's no need to ask Uzumaki-chan! Of course I'll grab it. That's what friends do nee?" The girl drabbled off, still hopping in place. Uzumaki sometimes wondered if she even had an off switch at times. But her words echoed in her head.

Friends. Uzumaki was still getting used to the term. For the longest time she and her mother had been travelling, more often than not, keeping to themselves. She hadn't gotten to know many other children her age. Settling down, she still kept to herself until Yuko refused to take no for an answer. More than ever, she was glad that the lavender haired girl was so determined. If not, then she dreaded being forced to be part of this village any longer. Where would they go?

"Nee nee, Uzumaki-chan! Are you listening to me?"Uzumaki couldn't help but force a smile.

"Karin."

"Eto?" Yuko stopped her bouncing to stare at the red-head.

"I believe, you can get away with calling me Karin now, Yuko-san." For the first time in all she's known Yuko, Karin could see those scale blue eyes twinkle. Perhaps, this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I will do my best then Karin-chan!"

0o0oo0o0

The last thing that Konoha's Greatest Spymaster expected on his travels was to see two snot nosed brats running through the forest as dusk would fall. At first, he thought he was imagining things. They couldn't be any older than six, if that. There was a strong chance he had drank more sake then he intended on his departure from the last small village after extensive amounts of research. Yet, he didn't drink enough to be drunk, otherwise he doubted he would have been able to leave the village on his two feet.

As he was setting up camp, however, he began to sense a large chakra supply running straight towards him he jumped onto his feet. From what he could sense, the person could have been chunin level. Yet, they didn't hide it. What kind of foolish ninja would be running at him like that? They didn't seem to be alone in the matter, but the chakra coming from the second was far weaker.

To his surprise, instead of full-fledged ninja, two young girls had tumbled down the hilly forest path having stumbled over some rocks. One crashed into his legs, though it wasn't enough force to throw the toad sage off balance. The other had landed right next to her friend, face first into the ground. Jiraiya couldn't help but wince. Surely that would have hurt a little kid. But the girl just surprised him again, plopping up and whining as she rubbed her face.

"Nee, I didn't think rocks were that biiiiiiiiiig. Or pointy. Did you know they hurt that much Karin-chan?" That girl had the attention span of a puppy, he concluded. The red head in front of him groaned, adjusting her glasses as she fell onto her back.

"Of course they hurt. They're rocks." The girl's tone fell flat before she noticed the old man in front of them. She blinked, before adjusting herself. "Who are you?" Her voice seemed to startle her companion into gazing up, eyes wide with surprise.

"I believe I should be asking you that. You crashed into my campsite after all." He raised an eyebrow at the duo. It was far too late for children to still be up playing, especially in the middle of a forest boarding ninja territory. He didn't recall seeing them in the earlier village and the closest was miles away.

"Nee nee, gomen mister. We had to uhh…" The lavender haired paused for a second before glancing over to the red-head. 'Karin,' she had said before. The more he stared at the two children, he couldn't help but feel put off. The child with the chakra reserves a chunnin. The only child he could pride himself in saying had a reserve as high was his own god-son. Not to mention, red hair was uncommon save for one family.

Karin just adjusted her glasses, coughing to cover her friend's clumsiness. "We're running late for dinner is all. Sorry for bothering you." She dusted off her skirt and stood up, reaching out a hand for the lavender hair to take. "Yuko-san let's go."

"Where are your parents kids? They couldn't have left you both alone in the forest now?" He far from believed their tale. Both girls let out a small flinch, hoping the sage wouldn't notice before sharing a look. Yes, there was something odd about them.

"It's uhh… training! Papa wanted to see if we could get home on our own! Maybe we could learn to be ninja." 'Yuko' exclaimed. Karin just tugged at the girl's dress sleeve to hush her. _So they had come from a ninja village?_

"Anywaaaaaay," Karin started, tugging more, "we need to get going now. Bye."

Jiraiya sighed. This was getting him nowhere. However, he couldn't just leave them on their own. It was a miracle they had made it as far as they did. He placed a hand down on both of their shoulders'. "How about we walk and talk? Starting with your names and why you're really out here."

Karin gulped. They were found out. What if he sent them back? Though Yuko just blinked again, lightly scratching her cheek, "Nee, what makes you think we're lying?"

"It's fairly obvious," Jiraiya dully pointed out, not releasing his grip of the two girls.

Karin just went over scenarios in her head for a moment before swallowing, bringing Jiraiya's attention to her. "Uzumaki Karin. We're from Kusa."

"Nee nee, I thought we weren't s'posed to tell anyone," Yuko said. Though Karin responded with shaking her head.

"Kusa's a long way from here kid. Why the hell would you leave?" His suspicions affirmed he frowned. Had they been anywhere near Kumo who knew what would become of the Uzumaki girl. But here, was a living breathing Uzumaki. After Uzushiogakure's fall, the Uzumaki's were spread with very little left.

"We could not stand the treatment there. It was Yuko's idea. I… did not wish to end up the same way as my mother." Karin continued, snapping Jiraiya from his thoughts.

"Your mother?"

"She died. They made a deal with her, and used her powers. Now she's dead." Her eyes stared straight at the ground, dull. Yuko instinctively wrapped an arm around the girl, pulling her close. To say Jiraiya was surprised was an understatement.

There were many ways Jiraiya expected his night to go. If he had spent another night in town, he would have missed these girls completely. If he had left earlier, there was a chance he wouldn't have seen them at all. Another Uzumaki. Two runaways. He couldn't exactly return them to Kusa, nor could he leave them to wander aimlessly in the forest. For a second, his thoughts went back to Naruto, alone in his apartment building. Perhaps, he could make something of this.

"What are your goals?" He asks, causing both girls to stare up at him.

"N-nani?" Karin's jaw went slack.

"Your goals. Where did you plan to go?" He repeated, loosening his grip on the girls. He doubted they would run.

"Nee… anywhere but there really. Somewhere Karin-chan would be safe," Yuko admitted, flushing quietly. So she didn't have a straight forward plan. At least they were out of the village.

"I… may know the perfect place for you both." A small smirk rested on Jiraiya's face, thinking back to his god-son. While he was not able to be in the village for long, perhaps he could finally give Naruto the family he needed. Not like he would give the old man a choice. "Karin… how would you and Yuko like to come and meet another Uzumaki?"

0o00o0

A/N: Hey guys. Poke here again. Ideas are flowing and I'm slowly back to writing. (Update for JoFaD hopefully by the end of the month). Aside from Chapter 2 I'm going to try updating this fic once a week. At the least once a month. This fic will mostly focus on a family/friendship relationship between Karin and co. Most pairings are currently open and I may or may not change things as I go. But hey that's normal in the brain of Poke. See you all later.


	2. Beginnings: Enter Uzumaki

Chapter 2: Enter Uzumaki

0o00o0

"He's a ninja Karin! A real ninja!" Karin didn't understand how Yuko could be this hyper or enthusiastic. After all, they came from a ninja village. Ninja's were common cut there. Though she supposed the girl did have a point. He didn't seem like an average ninja to say the least. But he was offering to take them to an Uzumaki and she wouldn't miss this chance. Plus he was going to carry them there. It would take a few days, but she was willing to wait.

She had family. A real family member that this Jiraiya character personally knew. She wasn't alone in the world, not that Yuko would ever leave her. It seemed surreal at first. She had living family. She had family. Karin didn't know what to think. However, for now, she could rest easy. They wouldn't be alone anymore. Maybe this trip wasn't so bad after all.

Yuko just smiled at Karin, humming a tune Karin was not familiar with. The lavender haired girl was genuinely happy for her friend. She herself had never known her parents much. With the events happening in Kusa, people were lost all around. That could have been her too, just another memory. She hadn't even known her own name, rather choosing one from a list of artists on one of her many cds.

Her mind wandered, thinking of what this Uzumaki was like. Jiraiya said he was around their age, possibly younger. He hadn't mentioned anything about parents though. Was he orphaned as well? Maybe they could just be one big family. She could… finally have a family. She smiled, resting her head on Jiraiya's shoulder. A family. A real family. She couldn't wait. "A real… family." Yuko yawned.

Jiraiya watched as the girls in his arms drifted to sleep. To travel from Kusa was a great accomplishment, especially for children so young. After hearing their story he had begun to understand the reasons they left Yuko had no one else and the village, at least in Karin's eyes, had betrayed them. Hopefully Konoha would keep them all safe. Otherwise he would have a very long talk with his sensei.

0o0oo0o0

If there were several things that Naruto knew from a young age. One: until he was old enough to go to the academy he should not leave the house without an escort. Two: if someone knocked on the door do not open it. Three: He needed to remind Jiji when he was running low on supplies for the month. Four: if his birthday was around the corner he could not go out under any circumstance. However, it was hard to tell Jiji he was out of food when he wasn't allowed outside. And there were many times he forgot. How was he supposed to remember this? He was only five.

He understood why, to say the least. Before Jiji had placed him in the apartment, he had lived in one of the orphanages of the village. At that point he could freely wander the village, but there were always stares. People would stare coldly, whispering behind his back as if he couldn't hear him. Demon. Freak. He heard all the names spat in his direction. Sometimes, they would be violent. Rocks and trash were some of the many things thrown his direction. Once in a while there were even kunai.

During the time of his birthday, it would be worse. Their gazes held pure venom. When he was at the orphanage there were threats to burn it down. He was not the only one in danger. By being there he had put the other children at risk. He didn't even wait until the next day to ask to transfer. It was one thing for the villagers to hate on him, but he couldn't let anyone else be hurt because of it. If only he knew why they hated him so much.

Now here he was, chased again. He really needed to make a habit of repeating those rules every day. Though he doubt he would remember in the long run. He yelped as another rock hit his head. Of course it would turn violent again. Their anger likely festering in the time he was gone. All he wanted was to buy some milk. Yet here he was, once again running for his life. Run. Run. That's all he could do at the moment.

"You certainly have a habit of getting in trouble, ehh gaki?" Suddenly he wasn't running anymore. His feet lifted off the ground as he was lightly tossed over someone's shoulder. The voice was familiar enough that he could stop struggling as he watched the villagers scowl at his escape.

"I-inu-kun," Naruto stuttered, eyes wide. The ANBU just nodded, not looking at him. "A-arigato Inu-kun."

"No need for thanks gaki. Was looking for you anyway."

"Why were you looking for me dattebayo?"

"Hokage-sama has a surprise for you," Inu's voice was playful as he hoped along the roofs toward the Hokage's office. Naruto just looked back at him starry-eyed. A surprise? Inu just laughed, patting his leg.

As they approached the academy, Inu placed Naruto down and lightly took his hand. They were far enough from the crowd that it was safe for him to walk. However, he kept his hand close in the case any academy parents attempted to pull anything. Naruto did have a tendency to wander.

"Wait… Inu-kun is it a good surprise or a bad surprise dattebayo?" Naruto couldn't help but ask. There were many times he was retrieve because someone had claimed he had done something wrong yet again. Even when he didn't leave the house a show keeper would claim to having seen him steal. Stealing was bad though.

"It's a good surprise. No worries otouto," His tone was soft. Naruto blinked before settling down a bit, rocking on his heels. Inu was one of the nice ANBU allowed to watch him. This wasn't the first time he had ever been called little brother. He felt his cheeks warm at the thought.

Inu let out another chuckle, leading him through the halls. Sarutobi had been waiting patiently alongside another older man, at least in Naruto's eyes. The man had white spiky hair, wearing a weird robe among other things. His interest in the man lowered, finding him just weird. However, behind the old man caught his attention. Two girls, talking quietly amongst themselves, sharing a glance between the old men. The red head seemed to perk up, changing her glance firmly at him.

"Inu-san, thank you for bringing him here. You are dismissed for now," Sarutobi instructed. At that, Inu bowed.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Without another word, the silver haired ninja shushined away. Naruto shifted, glancing up at Sarutobi.

"Ohaiyo, Jiji. You wanted to see me dattebayo?"

"Correct Naruto-kun. There are some people here I'd like you to meet," Sarutobi gave a slight nod before lightly waving a hand to Jiraiya. "This is my student, Jiraiya. He found something that might interest you."

"In-ter-est… me?" Naruto blinked.

"Perhaps I should let the girls explain on their own," Jiraiya said, eyes not leaving his god-son's confused self. Karin however, failed to move, just shifting behind him more. He didn't think the girl to be shy. Yuko on the other hand had already bounced over to scoop up the young Uzumaki and twirl with him.

Naruto let out a yelp as the strange lavender hair girl picked him up. He wasn't that heavy, but he wasn't used to someone his own height picking him up. The girl was giggling, a smile wide across her face, something he was very unused to. There was no hint of malice anywhere in this girl, only pure joy.

She eventually released him before twirling to stand in front of him with a peace-sign. "Nee nee! It's good to meet you! My name is Yuko," her voice sung as Naruto was left agape staring. This was, very unusual indeed. Seeing her friend's antics, the red head stepped from behind Jiraiya to place a hand on Yuko's shoulder.

"Yuko-san, don't scare the poor boy."

"Nee, then introduce yourself! Naru-chan! Naru-chan! This here is my bestest friend," Yuko grinned, bouncing again. The two men in the room didn't understand how hyper one child could possibly be.

"Naru- _chan_?" Naruto tilted his head.

"Nee, I come up with nicknames for everyone," Yuko giggled. "Especially people I want to be friends with!" She… wanted to be his friend. No one had offered to be his friend before. His head was spinning.

The red-head sighed before looking Naruto in the eyes. "I suppose I should explain. It is nice to meet you Naruto-kun." She gave a quick bow before being lightly elbowed by Yuko. "I am Uzumaki Karin."

Naruto froze in place. The world stopped around him. Uzumaki Karin. The name repeated over and over in his head. In front of him, was another Uzumaki? As far as he knew, he was the only Uzumaki in Konohagakure. But here… here was a living breathing Uzumaki. "U-Uzumaki?" He could barely hear the words escape his lips.

She nodded, before glancing at Sarutobi and Jiraiya to explain. Her quiet pleading was answered as Jiraiya moved to speak. "I found these two on my way out of the village. Like you, they do not have any family left. Sensei and I were wondering if you'd mind them living with you gaki."

"If I'd mind dattebayo?" Naruto quested before jumping up himself. "Of course I wouldn't mind! I finally have family dattebayo! Of course they can stay!"

Yuko squealed at his excitement, grabbing his hand and bouncing with him. Karin just gave a low smile. This was true. He… he was an Uzumaki just as her, despite not having their bright red hair. They were family.

0o00o0

Sarutobi waved them off as Inu came back to escort the trio to go shopping. The girls needed to become integrated into Konoha and Naruto would be need more food with three mouths to feed instead of one. His tired eyes turned to Jiraiya. "You sure have a way with discovering orphans Jiraiya."

"To be fair sensei, they had found me. The least I could do was bring them here. He needs a support system, and you and the ANBU will not always be there for him. I know my travels will keep me away from seeing him, and I have already left him for five years."

Sarutobi responded letting out a puff of smoke from his pipe. "He still treasures the gifts he receives from you, though he does not know who you are yet."

"I should still be here for him though."

"We both know that the village needs your skills Jiraiya. However, I will make sure to update you on their wellbeing's weekly. They will understand when the time comes."

"Hai, sensei. There is something else on your mind?"

"How old are the girls?"

"Yuko? She's almost a year older. Karin however is only a few months older. Both would almost be ready to attend the academy if they expressed interest."

"I see. I will look into this then. Perhaps it will give me an excuse to let Naruto out of the apartment more. In the meantime however, I will let Inu watch over them."

"Hai."


	3. Beginnings: The Love of Another

Chapter 3: The Love of Another

-One Year Later-

The sudden addition of two sisters into a family probably would have annoyed any other person. However, Uzumaki Naruto was not any other person. He was ecstatic to have family, with seemingly boundless energy for days on end. The only one able to keep up with him was Yuko who seemed to be in her own little world half the time. Karin didn't know how to react to having a second ball of energy, let alone live with one. With Inu's help however, she at least learned how to calm Naruto. Unsurprisingly, ramen was the answer.

Inu had treated them to Ichiraku's Ramen that week and Naruto was yet again surprised by the kindness shown. Teuchi-jiji, as Yuko named him, and his daughter Ayame had welcomed the trio's presence with open arms. Maybe because of the sheer amount of ramen Naruto could eat in one day. No matter the reason, Teuchi-jiji would always allow them back and never overcharged. If anything Naruto felt he got a discount.

Karin would limit their purchasing visits, as they didn't have much money to go on. But they would still visit the old man every day to see how he and his daughter faired, despite the looks they would get from villagers. Yuko, for the first time that Naruto and Karin had seen, was angry. The happy-go-lucky girl had grown attached to Naruto in the short amount of time they had known him. Logically, her shouts of telling Hokage-jiji that they were being "meanie butts," was welcomed, though no one took her seriously. That was until she literally stomped to the Academy to drag Sarutobi into the village she was believed. It was an odd day to say the least.

Any time anyone would even look at him or Karin wrong, Yuko just glared, ready to scream. She was just that kind of girl, Naruto learned. Karin on the other hand dealt with things more logically. As such, she was the one openly doing the shopping so they'd never be over charged. She still was trying to figure out why they were angry at her little brother. Sometimes she would make small talk and just mention Naruto's name and get a venomous response about the demon child. She was no happier than Yuko. If anything, Karin was furious at the treatment of her only living blood.

The girls almost declined the option to attend the academy because of the villagers. They both had potential to be great kunoichi: Karin with her large chakra supply, and Yuko with her determination. The only reason they had gave in was because Sarutobi agreed to watch Naruto with Konohamaru while they were in their studies. It had become routine. They all would wake up early in the morning, get preparations done for school, then head straight to his office to drop off their little brother. At lunch, they would come up and eat with them, or take Naruto down to play. Right after classes, at least one of them would be there on the dot.

It was tiring on the old man to say the least. However, since meeting the duo Naruto had been far more behaved, excitingly waiting for his sisters. For the first time, Sarutobi could see Naruto reading. By the looks of it, they were Karin's notes or a book she would leave with him. It bored him at times, and the young boy would beginning asking questions nonstop, unless he had work. Sarutobi could only spare so much time between paperwork and mission room duty. Maybe he could make an assignment for watching the trio. He was getting far too old for this.

Now here he was. It was almost Naruto's time for his first year at the academy, and Yuko had already gotten detention. Correction, both Yuko AND Karin received detention. For what? No one would tell him. Whatever the case it had led to him walking down to meet with their sensei as their unofficial Guardian with Naruto in tow. He didn't miss how many teachers stiffened seeing the boy.

The boy in question hopped quietly over to his sisters, sitting in the row in front of them. Yuko just tapped her fingers against the desk in a set rhythm while Karin took to her text, paying no mind to the teachers. She actually looked bored reading.

"May I ask why I was called down here?" His tone was stern as he stared down the chunin instructors. Mizuki was the only one not to flinch.

"Yuko had gotten into another fight. Uzumaki had begun bad mouthing her instructors," was all the explanation he got. He turned towards to girl.

"Nee nee, Hokage-jiji it wasn't even a fight." Yuko whined, toying with the silver ribbon on her bright blue dress. Honestly, he'd have to do something about their attire at some point.

"Well, what was it then Yuko-chan?" He asked patiently. Yuko just kept tapping her fingers before replying.

"They were making fun of someone. As ninja, we're supposed to work together. Ridiculing our teammates get us nowhere. But then they laughed and kept saying mean things. So I kicked one of the boys between the legs."

"…Where did you learn that?"

"Nee… one of the older kunoichi said if a boy ever harassed me it would be self-defense." Well logically, her reasoning made sense. Though now he would have to teach her when the appropriate time to use that would be. No need to have too many of their boys in the infirmary. "Then one of his friends tried to hit me so kicked him in the stomach and ran. But then they said I had detention. Nee, I was just defending a teammate…"

He had to make note, she took to learning the shinobi rules to heart. Despite her low scores, she had a better grasp on them than some people he knew. "I understand. Though try not to make a habit of attacking your classmates Yuko-chan."

"But what if it's Taijutsu practice?" She blinked.

"No hits below the waist then. Or at least that point."

"Okay Jiji." He turned to face Karin, who just had a blank look on her face. She lightly gathered her papers together and placed them into a folder in her bag.

"Oh me next?" Sarcasm dripped out of her mouth.

"Yes little lady. I'm used to seeing Yuko here." Sarutobi sighed, puffing smoke out of pipe. The girl had a habit of running her mouth and retaliating to bullies.

"They scolded the boy. Then they yelled at Yuko for hanging out with the demon boy at lunch. So if Chunin were so welcome to yell at a child, I figured that at the least I could also yell at them. They were certainly acting like children. Such great role models for future ninja," Karin's smile held killing intent. Sarutobi hid a groan. Leave it to any Uzumaki to cause problems like this. He vaguely wondered if Yuko had some blood in her herself. Naruto had flinched, curling up in his chair. He hadn't meant to get them in trouble. Yuko seemingly sensed that and just placed a gentle hand on her otouto's shoulder with a reassuring smile.

"You three are dismissed. I believe you have learned your lessons," He said, watching as the girls got up. Yuko smiled, egging Naruto onto her back to give him a piggy back ride. He pat all their heads and watched them go, before turning to the academy teachers. To think the prejudices would start this early. He was getting too old for this.

0o00o0

A lone boy stood outside the academy, swinging his legs. There was something he had to do. It didn't feel right letting the girl take the blame for him. He hadn't expected her to come to his defense. Most kids would follow the crowd and make fun of his inability to use most jutsu. He at least owed the girl some thanks. Normally detention ran for a few hours, depending on the act. To his surprise, the girls were out in under an hour, along with a small blonde haired boy.

He hopped down from his spot, shifting. He had never spoken to the girls before. In most of their classes the girls kept to themselves, and at lunch they would disappear. He took a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. He could do this.

"S-sumimasen!" Okay that came out louder than he intended it to be, but the girls had stopped in their steps glancing up at him. His cheeks warmed, causing him to quickly bow to them in hopes of hiding his face and apologizing.

"Nee, Lee-kun, konichiwa. How are you?" If he looked up he would see Yuko smile at him, eyes closed.

"I-I am doing well."

"Is there something you needed Lee-sama?" Karin asked. His cheeks grew dark before he straightened up to face them. Naruto was just giggling, clinging to Yuko as Karin adjusted her glasses.

"Yosh! Gomen, I wanted to apologize. For what happened in Taijutsu class today." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ma, that isn't your fault. They shouldn't have been making fun of you," Karin tsked.

"Yeah! Your taijutsu is really good Lee-kun! Maybe you can help us train otouto one day," Yuko giggled.

"Perhaps you can become a specialist in that," Karin said, placing her arms behind her head. "At least you work hard. Those dobe's can barely make a correct hand sign."

If there was a limit to how red a person could get, Lee was sure he broke that limit. It wasn't often that people complimented him. Most of the people made fun of him for being a 'dead-last' in the class. "A-arigato Uzumaki-san."

For a second he could see Naruto whisper something into Yuko's ear, earning another giggle. Her next words nearly made him fall backwards. "Nee, Lee-kun, we were going to Ichiraku's for an early dinner. Would you like to join us?"

"I wouldn't want to impede on-" Karin cut his words off.

"You aren't impeding. You are very welcome to join us. So is it a yes or no?"

He took a step back, glancing them over. No doubt, they were one hundred percent serious about the offer. "H-hai!"

"Nee, then we'll race you!" Yuko made a sound equivalent to a squee, already taking off with Naruto on her back. At the challenge of a race, Lee immediately followed suit, leaving Karin behind. "Last one there buys dinner!"

She stared for a moment before yelling and running after them. "C-chotto matte! Yuko that wasn't fair! Lee-sama don't encourage her!"

The only response was their laughter ringing throughout the street.

0o00o0

"Onee-chan, I'm scared." Naruto's voice snapped Karin out of her thoughts s she glanced at the boy. It had been a few days since their dinner was Lee, and closer to the time to new academy students would be flooding in. From what she overheard, many of Konoha's heirs to several large clans would be in his class. That was a lot of pressure on the civilian children, and a lot of pressure on Naruto.

"About?" Her voice was calm as she took him into her lap, gently rocking him.

"What if they don't like me? I wasn't even in classes and I got you and Yuko-nee in trouble dattebayo."

Karin gently run a hand through his hair. That, was a strong possibility. However, she wouldn't tell Naruto that. It wasn't his fault in the least. "Then they are missing out Naruto-otouto."

"Do you think I can be a great Hokage like Jiji and the Yellow Flash?"

"You can do anything you set your mind to otouto. Remember, me, Yuko, and Lee-sama will always be there to support you. And if they put you down, kick their butts when you have sparring. Just try not to fight. We don't need you and Yuko both getting in trouble."

That earned her a giggle. "I'll try Nee-chan."

She laughed, hugging him closely.

0o00o0

Naruto shifted quietly, adjusting his jacket. The girls had spent part of their allowance to buy him some new clothes. He insisted that they save up for themselves, but they wouldn't take no for an answer. He had to admit, the jacket was comfortable. It even had the "Uzumaki Swirl" on the back, according to Karin. It was a simple black jacket with orange stripes down the sleeve and down its side. Yuko had got him an orange bandana that he could place over his mouth.

Whenever he wore it, they warned him to put the hood up, which confused him endlessly. What did it matter? However the surprising part was went the hit the streets. No one could really see his face and just… ignored them. No more looks, no more names. He could go out in public now without vendetta.

That didn't mean, however, the academy would be different. They would know his name at the academy. There was a strong chance no one would want anything to do with him if their parents found out. He sighed. It was one thing to give them a reason to hate him, but he promised he would behave.

The one thing he looked forward to, was that if it got to a point, Yuko promised to show him a 'trap' that he could use for practice. As long as he didn't use it often. Even Karin had no qualms to that. And now that they were all at the academy they could use the training area, where Lee promised he would show them some techniques. Despite being nervous, he was also excited. No matter if everyone hated him, at least he would have his sisters and Lee.

He lightly swung his legs back and forth while he was sitting. The girls had already gone off to class, promising to see him at lunch with a special surprise. Apparently Neko had been teaching the girls some cooking so they didn't only have ramen every day. Inu had taught him how to make different variations of eggs already and promised to teach him more as time would permit.

He sat in the second row in the first column near the doors. In reality, he wanted to sit in the back for the sake of a quick escape, but he still wanted to learn. Jiji had told him the academy taught the ways of a shinobi, and if he wanted to be Hokage, like it or not he had to pay attention. He glanced at the door, seeing students fill in one by one. Some already had groups of friends they planned to sit alongside, leaving him to his own. Luckily hoods were still allowed to be warn in class so he could keep his up to hide his face.

No one paid him attention, sans the sensei's who took to whispering among themselves. Only one had the nerve to look at him and for once there was no anger. He even gave a small wave before going over lesson plans with another sensei. He was left to sit in silence, when someone finally sat next to him, likely due to the lack of seats left in class. He just tapped his fingers, remembering a song that Yuko-nee had taught him. Well… more of woke him up with. She was very intense with her morning dance workout. Maybe he could save up to buy her a working cd player for the clothes they bought him. The skipping would only get on their nerves further.

Before he could get through any other thoughts, the teachers began to take roll call. Naruto only paid so much attention, knowing his name would be called near the end of the list.

"Uzumaki, Naruto." He didn't miss how a few sensei's flinched while others began to whisper. He held back a sigh, just quickly saying 'here.' Hopefully they didn't see him. Soon enough they settled down and began to introduce themselves along with the subjects they taught.

Umino Iruka, he took note, was the one who didn't give him any grievances. Perhaps his time here wouldn't be completely horrible. At least not this day. According to Karin, the first day for new students was always the tour and then going over the basics. Then they would eat lunch and have a taijutsu class to assess everyone's skill. He had no doubts it would be a good day.

0o00o0

He spoke too soon. This class, was loud to say the least. Girls were gawking over something. All he could remember was the fair mention of 'Uchiha' before he tuned himself out. Most of the chunin instructors were outright glaring and whispering right in front of him. If he even took one wrong step he was scolded and laughed at. Okay, part of that was his own fault, but he already knew the layout of the academy. Between his sisters and Jiji, he had been to nearly every room.

The tour had took a bit longer than it was supposed to, so they cut for lunch. While his other classmates gathered to eat together and talk amongst themselves, he just hopped off to the main yard. The girls were not there yet, so he sat patiently on the swing, looking up at their window. It looked as though people were starting to move, so he wouldn't wait long.

It took a few minutes, but the girls were appeared. Yuko help a basket, waving at Naruto while Karin had a grasp on Lee's wrist. Almost as if she was dragging him. He giggled, hopping off the swing to hug them all. "What took you so long dattebayo?"

"Mizuki-sensei just drabbled on and on and on and lost track of time," Yuko scoffed. "Nee, his class is always so boriiiiing."

"How was your class Naru-kun?" Lee asked.

"There are fangirls in there. Save me," he dramatically fell to his knees and put his hands together. Lee just knelt down and place his hands on his shoulders.

"Need help writing your will?"

"Lee-kun, I thought I could depend on you," he whined.

"It's nice to see you two having fun, but we still have lunch to eat." Karin interrupted. It was interesting, and honestly she wouldn't have wanted to stop it. But lunch could only last so long and they wanted to walk Naruto back to class.

"Nee, nee! Come on, while the food is still warm," Yuko sang, twirling around in place.

With all their laughter, as they found a place to sit, they didn't notice a little black bug, buzzing quietly on the wall.

0o00o0

"Yosh, we will see you this afternoon Naru-kun," Lee waved. They decided to drop Naruto off early so there was no chance he could be late to class. It showed what little trust the girls had in the academic staff. Naruto didn't mind however. The girls had given him two big hugs while Lee gave him a small high five. They even discussed going over Lee's training regime after school to help him even better his taijutsu. After all, it was one thing training on your own, and another training with a group. In return, Lee would help them with kunai and shuriken.

Only one teacher was in the room. From what he remembered, Iruka would be their general shinobi education and history instructor. He could deal with that. That would take up most of the day, even if they had other classes. That meant less time with the instructors who glared at him. Iruka hadn't looked up from his papers, allowing Naruto to just sit and prepare a small scroll and pencil. He would do some quick doodles, waiting for everyone to file in.

It would still be a long day. As more students gathered inside, Iruka finally began to look around at them. His eyes wandered to Naruto, and he shifted. Again, no hatred, just… what was the word? He seemed… awkward to say the least. No matter the case, awkward was better than malice.

He began his explanations of the school and rules of the shinobi. He promised to pay attention, so he would, taking down notes once a while. He recalled some of things that Karin and Yuko taught him, adding in extra notes for what they had said on the subjects. Even a few quotes from Lee about comradery. He couldn't help but hide a giggle under his bandana thinking of them. His seat-mate next to him, seemed to be the only one to notice. However, the boy didn't say a word about it, going back to his own notes. This… was an interesting day to say the least.


	4. Beginnings: First Offense

Chapter 4: First Offense

"Uzumaki! That is enough. Wait out in the hall." For what seemed like quite possibly could be the hundredth time, Naruto was forced to move from his seat and stand outside. He had no doubts that he wouldn't be allowed in until the end of class. Despite the rules of time outs only lasting fifteen minutes, they would forget he was there in the first place. Whatever. He'd just take his bag and study the notes Karin gave him. The sabotage attempts were nothing new to his person, as much as it pained his siblings.

Taking their complaints to Jiji did nothing. As much as he wanted to help them, the instructors would not listen. Not only that, but there were not enough instructors for him to replace them. It annoyed them all to no end. The least they could do was not yell at him just for dropping a pencil.

Honestly, he didn't do anything. He refused to talk to anyone in class in fear of a worse scolding. He always had his material out and ready. He even took notes and raised his hand to answer questions. Yet the smallest thing would set them off and he was tired of it. The only two options he could see were ship out or shut up, and if he wanted to become hokage, then he had to shut up.

In taijutsu they would set him up in incorrect forms. He fell for it the first time thinking that it was a new style. In less than a minute though, he found himself on his ass. Everyone laughed at him save for a few of the quiet students, and he refused to listen to his sensei's after that. It wasn't fair. More than half of them had clans to depend on, or were encouraged by their instructors. Not him. But who needed them?

He had Lee and his sisters. Lee practiced his taijutsu every day and would invite them over to train with him. It improved all of their work. Karin would normally bow out first, exhausted and wanting to return to her studies. Despite her high reserves, her stamina needed a lot of work. Yuko would last longer, more working on her strength and stamina training. They never left the field though, cheering on for Naruto and Lee to keep working hard. Lee was glad to have a partner who could keep up. Naruto was glad to have someone to teach him proper form.

They worked out a routine that would work out for them. In the mornings, Yuko would be the first to wake up and start on her dance routines as her warm up for the day. The music would wake up him or Karin at some point so they could finish homework or start on their own workouts. Naruto would always find time to water his plants. When it around seven, someone was already cooking breakfast and when they were done they would set out to pick up Lee. Lunch was their chill down period after classes unless they wanted to use the academy set of shuriken and kunai.

After school they would meet at one of the training fields or in the academy training halls. If it was the halls they would spend an hour working on precision and accuracy. Sometimes Iruka-sensei would give them tips if he was still in the building. If they were in the field, it was warm ups then sparring in pairs. After 30 minutes they would switch it up to individual practices.

Karin focused on chakra control to give herself a break and to try sensing their chakra. Two months into their first year of the academy she learned she had the makings of sensor type. Sometimes she would be reading a scroll or a book she checked out from the library to learn more techniques. Yuko worked on her stamina, normally by working on an original dance routine with music playing in the background. Then she'd work on strength.

Lee had his own special training that Naruto didn't know what to think of. It was ridiculous, but it worked well for his friend. As for Naruto? He would work through a few katas, shedding his jacket for the long workout ahead. He always changed his routine up so he could better his skills in different areas. One day it was taijutsu, another chakra control, and so forth.

It wouldn't be until after an hour they would start sparring again until someone tired out or it got late. They would head to dinner after, either at the apartment or at Ichiraku's. Sometimes they separated right after, Lee returning to the fields to do his workouts while the others focused on their studies for an hour. If they were at the apartment, they all would focus on their homework, helping each other out. Well… mostly Karin explaining the subjects to the trio.

They cleared out most of the living room so Naruto and Lee could focus on katas afterwards or Yuko could do her routines. Karin would throw questions at them as they did or she would quietly be reading a book. Sometimes she would convince him to come over and they would read together. Lee ended up staying the night if they stayed in the apartment, not that any of them minded in the least.

All this was the only reason he wasn't the dead last of his class. At least, not completely. Even though he would get correct answers, the instructors would find some way to mark him down. Sometimes they wouldn't even take his homework. At least they couldn't call him out in taijutsu. He was doing everything within academy regulations, he made sure of that.

He sighed, glancing over the notes, unaware of the time that passed. It didn't matter in the least, and he'd still have another class after this that would end the same way. Maybe if he just did nothing he'd be in less trouble. He thought for a moment before deciding against it. That would likely get him kicked out in less than a minute. Maybe he could talk to one of his classmates for the notes. If they didn't ignore him.

Last time he tried to ask a group they all ganged up on him, calling him names their parents would. Of course they would do that. He didn't know why they would think any differently. Who could he go to ask?

0o00o0

Aburame Shino was many things. However, a fool he was not. His clan was known for their logical thinking and ability to keep their emotions in tow. Logically, his academy years would go smoothly without much trouble. But there was an illogical fallacy in that thinking, and it had been the boy he chose to sit with on the first day.

Uzumaki Naruto was someone he did not understand in the least. The boy was quiet, and rarely tried to cause trouble in any of his classes. Yet despite that, many teachers looked at malice and even killing intent. Even his kikaichuu would warn him to stay away. For what he hadn't known.

He had discussed it with his parents and they couldn't give him a straight answer. The only thing he knew was the boy had very little family and that everyone thought of him as a monster. It made no sense logically. The boy had done nothing wrong, so why was the hatred towards the boy so strong? He got in trouble just for adjusting in his seat, something he's seen other kids get away with. Notingly, his sensei's attitudes seemed to influence what the others thought of their classmate. Few remained unfaltered by their opinions.

He was curious about the boy. Once in a while he would ask some of his kikaichuu to watch over him. They were discomforted for a while, before buzzing softly. The boy had shown no harm in the least. Whenever he was sent out he would just look over notes or practice a kata. He took his training far more seriously than some of the civilians he's seen. Perhaps he would keep an eye on the boy, if only to solve his own curiosity.

0o00o0

"Nee, people are really loud today," Yuko blinked as they walked through the village. No one had paid them any attention.

"The faster we get to the training field the better," Karin sighed. "Don't pay them any attention." She was getting antsy. More ninja were in the village and she could see a good number of them gathered. She'd rather be somewhere with peace and quiet.

Lee and Naruto nodded quietly, following the girl to the woods. Yuko was more hesitant, glancing back at the villagers. Without another word, she chased after the trio, not wanting to be left behind. She couldn't help but think they were missing something.

0o00o0

"Kakashi."

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi glanced down at his crystal ball. He knew about the trio's new training efforts, along with their newfound friendship with Lee. It only seemed to grow day by day. However, he was worried. Documents had recently been found stolen, and for all he knew the enemy would still be around. "Iruka went to check on the children… but I believe another pair of eyes would be necessary."

"Ma, I haven't seen my kawaii siblings in a while. I wouldn't mind in the least."

"I do not believe they know that you've departed from ANBU. They'll be surprised to see your face," a chuckle escaped his lips.

0o00o0

If there was ever a day that could go from bad to worse, Naruto decided this was that day. Well… that could describe a lot of days in his life, but this had to be down as one of the top ten at least. It started off as a normal training session. The sun was setting but they thought staying out a bit later would go fine. At first it was. They got to work on how well they could perform in the dark, when Karin had sensed a group of ninja heading their way. They all assumed it was just someone's team coming out for late night training so they began to pack up their things.

Everything seemed harmless at first. Then someone had tossed a kunai that scrapped against Karin's cheek. Karin yelped, clutching her cheek at that when Lee tackled her down. More projectiles were thrown when a shuriken embedded itself in Yuko's shoulder. She cried out as they all gathered around each other. Naruto checked on her shoulder. They hadn't learned to patch wounds greatly, but the least he could do was wrap it.

"Nee nee! W-who are you?" Yuko called out, flinching from the pain in her shoulder. They hadn't gotten used to cuts yet.

"T-they're surrounding us," Karin whispered. "It's the real deal."

"Do you see an opening?" Lee asked.

"Ma, I wish I could say."

"W-what do they want dattebayo?" Naruto mumbled. Yuko just kept him behind her, not wanting to find out. They wanted to hurt her family. She couldn't let that happen.

Another array of projectiles were flung their way, forcing them to jump up into the air. The next thing Naruto knew, Lee went sailing into a tree. He gulped, unable to trace any movements. "L-Lee-kun."

That wasn't the end of the onslaught. Before another word could be said, a blast of water send all three of them flying against the forest trees. A lone shinobi stood in the middle of them. "So this is all Konoha has to offer? Four shrimps?"

"W-what… what is a Kiri ninja doing here?" Karin was wide-eyed, struggling to stand upright.

Yuko grasped her injured shoulder, glancing around at the others. They were in no ways close to enough to reach each other without the shinobi interfering. And there were likely more hidden in the shadows if Karin's report was right. She hissed and let out a curse. "D-darn it."

"Lee-kun watch out!" Naruto cried, barely catching the group of shuriken heading straight for him.

Lee groaned, still dazed from the tree blow. Upon hearing Naruto's cry he glanced up and yelped, ducking down. Yuko glanced around, trying to find an opening to reach her friend. Before she could even run, kunai planted in front of her while another set pinned her dress to the tree. She cried out as they scrapped her skin.

"W-we can't take on people like this," Karin looked wide-eyed, pressing close to the tree. They were still tired out from training on top of everything.

"We can't even run dattebayo…" Naruto gulped. Another strong gust of wind forced them against the trees, causing them all to cry out in pain.

Yuko winced, barely managing to glance around. "Karin-chan… Naru-chan… Lee-kun..."

More than anything, Karin wanted to run at this moment. However, the amount of openings limited as she could sense more chakra signatures approaching them. They were trapped whether they liked it or not. She glanced at Lee, who was still trying to stand weakly, and gulped. He seemed to have taken the brunt of the damage of the assault. Damn it. She couldn't do a thing about it.

Suddenly, the forest began to light up. A bright flash of fire heading at them from above. The Kiri ninja had a smirk on his face before shunshining away. Barely able to move, they could only watch as the fireball headed straight for them. Naruto closed his eyes tightly, already feeling the heat that would hit.


	5. Beginnings: Of Bugs and Bets

Chapter 5: Of Bugs and Bets

0o00o0

" _Suiton: Suijun_! (Water shield)"

The heat was gone. Naruto couldn't find it in him to open his eyes when he felt an arm around his waist. Suddenly he could hear the sound of metal on metal when he opened them again. The field burned where they once stood. "N-nani?"

"Naruto-kun _daijoubu_?" The gruff voice echoed in Naruto's head.

"I-Inu-niisama…" He glanced up to see the ex-ANBU, carrying him and Karin. Yuko, free of her prison, was already next to Lee. Though in pain, she tried to help Lee stand. Iruka took his place in front of them.

"Ma, sorry for the late arrival otouto. What happened?" Kakashi asked.

"W-we were finishing up training. They just attacked us." Karin muttered, struggling against him.

"You and the others hide Karin-chan. Leave this to us," While he couldn't see his face, he could practically hear the smile on Kakashi's face. There were not many adults Naruto trusted in his life. But when Inu gave him an order, he was more than willing to listen. Kakashi put the duo down and Naruto immediately grasped Karin's arm. Karin yelped, but let him stagger off with her, glancing back at Yuko. Kakashi moved to block anything aimed at them.

Yuko, upon hearing the orders, slung one of Lee's arm over her shoulder. They were slower than the others but managed to get free of the area. They followed after, wincing at the sounds of metal on metal.

Kakashi's facial expressions hardened once he others were out of sight. "Iruka-san, do not hold back."

"Hai."

0o00o0

Shino couldn't help but watch the empty seat beside him. He had made a resolve to at least introduce himself to the boy. However, for the first time since they've begun their academy days the boy was gone. And gone for a consecutive amount of days. Around three he believed. According to his kikaichuu, the people he hung out with were gone as well. The likely solution that Shino could find was that something had happened, either to the boy or all of them.

He hadn't missed that Iruka-sensei came to class, bruised and bandaged. It prompted many questions from the students, though their sensei only said that it was a mission that took the wrong term. That didn't seem like a complete lie, but there was something that Iruka failed to tell them and he planned to get to the bottom of it.

At the break, while everyone else had left, Shino remained in his seat. He was patient, buying his time for the moment. Iruka sat quietly at his desk with a sigh, not going missed by Shino. With the assurance that no one else would enter the room, he slowly approached the desk, letting out a small cough. Iruka was startled from his work, and glanced up at the child. "Nee, Shino-kun is something wrong?"

"I've noticed Uzumaki-san has been absent for a while now. Has something happened?" Iruka seemed to freeze on the spot. He wasn't aware that Naruto had any acquaintances in class. From what he's heard from the boy, he trusted no one outside his 'family.'

"Is there a reason why you're curious Shino-kun?"

"Why? Because… he does not seem like the type to willingly skip class and I must admit I am curious." Shino had nothing to hide from his instructor.

"Curious?"

"He is… different from the other students. Why? Because he is less of a pain. Yet they treat him with no mild malice, even the instructors. The fact that he's been gone for so long is… troubling." In all honestly, this was the most he's heard Shino talk since they've begun classes. Probably more than he's heard Naruto's voice as well. Iruka couldn't hope to hide his surprise from him.

"I see. You are worried about him?"

"In a sense."

"Well, no worries. He should be coming back to class tomorrow." That didn't completely answer his question. However, Shino doubted Iruka would give up more than that if he hadn't already.

"Arigatou, Iruka-sensei." Shino bowed, and returned to his seat. He would figure the boy out at some point.

0o00o0

Sarutobi could do nothing but watch his three… no four academy charges as they finished up their homework for the day. He had almost forgot the induction of Lee into their little family. Perhaps it was because he had yet to live with the trio. However, with how little time he spent in the orphanage these days Sarutobi began to wonder when they would permanently move the boy into their home.

They were healing up quietly, under observation of his own chosen workers. Had he let anyone see them… he didn't want to risk that. He already knew of Naruto's dislike of hospitals and limited admittance. The last thing he expected was Karin to also freak out once they awoke in a room together.

Because of that, he moved them somewhat closer to him. Karin had offered to use her abilities, but Yuko outright protested the second she brought it up. For that they had been roughing it out, so to speak. Only Naruto had been fully healed and that no doubt was from the Kyuubi. The others had aches and pains, but Sarutobi found they would be ready to return without questions. That was, if questions were to be asked.

He worried how they would react to the attack. Most civilians would have backed out after seeing what true shinobi were like in the field. That would happen often in the fields, if they returned alive. Half of him expected them to be scared to death by the experience, especially with the shape they were left in. It was nothing compared to training or academy teachings.

They were battered, bruised and covered in cuts from head to toe. But the other half felt that it would take a lot more to extinguish their fires. They were all feeling down. He hadn't missed the look on their faces as they worked on their homework. Even Yuko and her every present moods seemed to be an ocean of blue.

"Nee… Hokage-jiji? Why… why isn't the academy stuff like that?" The question from Yuko nearly caused him to trip over his words.

"Like what Yuko-chan?"

"Nee, why isn't it like how it is in the field?" She tilted her head, looking up from her work. It only furthered the innocent tone in her voice.

"Well, we are at peace Yuko-chan. The academy teaches everything about the way of shinobi."

This time Karin interrupted, eyes focused on the floor, "Yes, but… learning from a book is far different from experience. I've wondered why genin team success rates were so low here." Never before had he had academy students question the forms of teaching here.

"While it is important for simple skills… to that just be the focus until a student graduates, it will not help them on the field," Lee adds in his two cents. No doubt the quartet had been speaking of this before he came in. "At least, that is what I have learned from this experience. This sugarcoating, that we have learned did not see to help us much."

Now that hurt. But it wasn't far from the truth. He looked at Naruto, who just seemed to be deep in thought. Perhaps reflecting something? "Well this has been the way the academy has been for many years. We've had many respectable ninja come out from it." They hadn't seemed to come up with a response his words, just turning to watch the floor.

"But… with many great nin, there is also a large death count, especially from younger students. A test on a book is different than a test on your life," Karin muttered. This seemed to be a large hit to her, considering she was stronger intellectually than the others.

"It also leaves potential nin out of the running dattebayo. Many without clans don't have access to the same materials as people from a large clan. Clan training can begin at any age really dattebayo." Naruto's voice finally peeked out. That had made all of them go quiet, words echoing in their minds. They weren't wrong. Not in the least. He still had one question left unanswered.

"Well… what do you four believe after this experience? Do you still wish to attend?"

Karin, for the first time since they entered, let out a single snort, adjusting her glasses. "We were in a situation that went wrong. That's life. It happens. We've been through it before." He flinched at that, remembering their last Kyuubi festival.

"Nee, that just means we have to train harder right Jiji? I mean… it'll be hard but if we want to protect our precious people we have to learn to protect ourselves nyah?" Did Yuko just mew at him? That was new. Though she seemed to have perked up.

"Yosh! We will train harder to not be overcome!" Lee smiled, raising up a balled hand.

"Nee, if I want to be Hokage someday it's a given. Right, dattebayo?" Naruto's voice was soft as he turned to face Sarutobi. If anything, all Sarutobi could see was the Will of Fire igniting the room on fire. He still had much to think about. To think his four oldest grandchildren would be the ones to question him about this. Perhaps he would talk to Iruka about this.

"That is correct Naruto-kun. You four are now fit enough to return at any time," He puffed smoke from his pipe and smiled. They certainly were something else.

0o00o0

If there was one class Naruto found he loved now, it was Iruka's class. Even when another sensei was in the room, he never allowed Naruto to be kicked out. For a few classes, he'd actually have the chance to improve. Iruka hadn't seemed that awkward with him anymore and even offered to buy dinner for the quartet after their training for the day. And well, who was Naruto to say no to free ramen?

The glares were still back, from other students as well as teachers. He doubted they would ever go away. He noticed his desk-mate being unusually antsy that day. Unlike the others, however, he never noticed a look of resent coming from the kid. They never really said much in class the more he thought about it.

He sighed, tapping his pencil against the desk. It was time to work on their assignment, but he had already figured out most of the answers. Karin spent every day last year tutoring him. It would be harder to catch up on the days they had missed while in the hospital. No doubt Karin would cut training time to tutor him more. It wouldn't stop him from being the dead last in class, but it would help him understand. Nonetheless, he couldn't wait for break.

As soon as the break began, Naruto was ready to leave. There was nothing stopping him. He had a lot to make up for in the days they were gone. As soon as he was about to hop out of his seat however, someone tugged at his jacket sleeve.

"Uzumaki-san." If the hand wasn't on his sleeve he would have jumped five feet in the air. He stiffened and turned his head towards his desk-mate.

"O-ohaiyo?" The boy's face was mostly covered, from what Naruto could tell. He had his own hood kept up with a large funnel neck shirt covering up to his nose and a pair of dark glasses to cover his eyes. Damn it, he didn't even know the kids name and they've sat next to each other for this long.

"How are you feeling Uzumaki-san? You have been gone for a while." Why did this boy care? None of the others seemed to even notice his absence. Iruka knew, being the one to hand them all their homework they've missed.

"I-I am fine, dattebayo. A-arigatou." He just took a big gulp. The faster he got this through, the better.

"Do you need the notes from the days you missed?"

"E-excuse me?" He stared at the kid.

"The notes."

"Oh, right right. Yeah, I-I'd need them," He mumbles, scratching his cheek. The boy in question had rummaged through his backpack before handing Naruto a scroll. "Ah, arigatou uhh…"

"Aburame Shino."

"Ne, arigatou Shino-kun," a light smile fell on his face as he bowed to Shino. He only nodded in response, letting go of the boy's sleeve. With that in mind, Naruto escaped to find the others.

Aburame Shino.

He'd have that remember that later.

0o00o0

"Ano, an Aburame?" Karin asked, tossing a few kunai at the academy markers. A quiet 'tsk' could be heard as she missed.

"Hai, he gave me an extra set of notes," Naruto murmured, scratching his cheek. Karin and Lee shared a look, not knowing what to think. Yuko on the other hand was already bouncing up and spinning.

"Nee nee you made a friend! You made a friend!" No one paid heed as though this was a daily occurrence.

"Aburame. I believe they are the clan who utilize insects if my studies are right," Karin adjusted her glasses. The use of insects was an interesting trait, though one mildly disturbing. It didn't seem as though many ninja appreciated their skills. Disturbing or not, she refused to stoop to that level.

"Nee, that's right. You studied all about the clans when we came to Konoha," Yuko blinked. She stopped bouncing to think for a moment. Lee tilted his head for a moment before remembering. Lee sometimes forgot that his two best friends were originally from a different village.

Yuko however, smiled as she twirled a kunai in her hand. A boy who used insects. She could come up with a great nickname. There were so many to choose from. She wanted to meet the boy now. Karin knew that smile far too well as she saw Yuko toss her kunai. Off the mark, but closer than hers. She had to put her foot down now.

"Yuko you are not going to meet this boy yet."

"Nee? Why not?" She whined.

"He's approaching Naruto. Not us. You'll scare him off!"

Yuko pouted, plopping onto the floor, "Nee, not faaaaaaaaair." She didn't exactly deny the claims. "I wanna see what kind of bugs he uses."

"No Yuko."

"Fiiiiiiiiine."

Naruto and Lee just sighed at the girl's antics, returning to practice their tosses. Yuko was an overly friendly individual unless you were mean to her precious people. That was why more than half of Naruto's class was already on her bad side of that list. Add in the bullies of their own class and there were few people she would freely show her good side too. Until Naruto got a feel for the Aburame, Karin was not going to let Yuko anywhere near the boy.

Karin also had to admit however, she knew Naruto was not going to willingly speak with the boy. Acknowledge him yes, but speak with him no. From the sounds of it, the boy was relatively smart. According to Naruto, once he knew the name, Aburame was one of the top of his class. Despite that, he never held malice towards him. He so far had no strikes in Karin's book.

She closed her eyes to work on her sensory skills. Aside from them, laid a few specks of stray chakra against the wall. Everything was beginning to click together. Now if only the boy would just come to them instead of sending his damned insects again.

"Karin-san seems to be in deep thought again," Lee blinked.

"It's Karin-nee-chan. If she wasn't, that's when I would start worrying dattebayo," Naruto chuckled.

0o00o0

"Yuko-chan, can you come here a moment?"

Yuko looked up from her backback. Class had just ended and she was fully prepared to get back on schedule for training with the others. That was, until Iruka called her over. She shrugged before motioning for Lee and Karin to head on without her. It had been several days since the incident and it didn't seem as though anything would change.

For all she knew she was in trouble for punching someone in the face again. Though to be perfectly fair, it was during taijutsu practice. Mizuki did get angry at her non-formal way of fighting. But hey, it was a ninja eat ninja world. They shouldn't have insulted Lee and then say girls make shitty ninjas.

"Hai, Iruka-tou-san?" Iruka nearly fell over from the honorific. From what he knew, she never used tou-san.

"Ma, Yuko-chan. I'm not your tou-san." Iruka said calmly.

"Nee, I know. But it seemed like a fitting name. You aren't old enough to be called Jiji. And I dunno how a nii-chan would be nee." He didn't know how to react to that.

"…Anyways, you seem to be improving your scores I've noticed. But you are also struggling in certain topics." He continued.

"Nee, Karin and Lee have been helping me lots. And I'm helping Lee-kun with his taijutsu in return," a smile fell on her face. Iruka swore the room lit up in that moment. "I mean, some things are still hard to grasp but maybe it's because I used to live alone." Her head tilted. "The ninja world is a lot different than the streets. Even Naru-chan agreed with me on that."

"Explain," he blinked.

"Nee, well shinobi are considered tools, used at the commands of their leaders. That's things I knew from back in Kusa, especially with how they treated Kari nee. It's just… the rules are weird to me because shinobi are people too. On the streets, I was just living for myself and Naru was the same, 'cept he got attacked more. I understand that adults say emotions can make you weak… but don't they also make you strong nee?"

"You are correct in that. It's a flawed belief that being completely emotionless makes a person strong. But on missions, emotions can get in the way of judgement. Despite that, I do believe you are right. Lee and Karin have been around ninja longer than you have haven't they?" His voice was soft. Sometimes he wondered if it was good to allow such an innocent girl to enter into the shinobi world.

"Hai. Demo, maybe it's harder to grasp because of who I am." She closed her eyes and pouted, placing a fist under her chin while her other arm supported her elbow.

"What are your dreams Yuko-chan?" Maybe he could help her.

She opened her eyes, blinking. "Nee. Well if you asked me a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't know. Karin had her dream about rebuilding the Uzumaki. Naru wants to be hokage and prove himself. Lee-kun wants to be the greatest ninja using only taijutsu because he has lower chakra reserves and cannot perform ninjutsus."

"And you?"

"Nee, I always wanted to protect the others. But to protect the others I need to get stronger myself. And Lee gave me the idea when he saw my morning dance workouts," she rubbed the back of her head giggling. "I want to be known as the 'Legendary Dancing Kunoichi of Konoha.' I mean, I won't be able to practices kenjutsu until I become a genin. So my first focus is genjutsu because Karin says it's my strongest. Plus I can incorporate my dances into taijutsu. Then, when I get that title, I know I can protect the others nee. Though Mizuki called my new style improper."

Iruka just took the girl into his lap and pat her head. "Ma, don't listen to Mizuki. That's a really good goal that you've set yourself up for. And if I must say, completely you."

"Arigatou Iruka-tou-san."

He didn't try to correct her this time.

Instead, a smile fell on his face. "Say, to help you achieve that. What if we made a little bet. Between you, me and Naruto?"

"What's a bet?"

"It's… like a risk. We predict a future event and whoever proves right wins. Well there are multiple definitions, but this is the one I'm using." Of course she wouldn't know anything about bets.

"Oh, well what kind of bet then?"

"If you and Naruto can improve your test scores, I'll find a way to make things more interesting around here. And if you lose, you both gotta help clean up the classroom for a week. How does that sound?"

"Well if it includes Naru, then you gotta grade all his tests tou-san. He said someone erased his answers on the last one they took."

"I will do my best to do so," He smiled.

"Then it's a bet! Arigatou tou-san." Iruka gently placed her down, and let her race to her desk. She stopped to stare at the scroll on her desk before slowly rolling it up. She zipped up her backpack and waved at him. "Ja ne tou-san! I gotta go talk to the cute bug boy now."

He chuckled, seeing her race off. Then her final words hit him like a train. "Wait, what cute bug boy?"

His voice echoed through the academy halls, followed by Yuko's own giggles.


	6. Beginnings: Budding Relations

Chapter 6: Budding Relations

0o00o0

"Nee nee so you're Aburame-kun?"

Shino nearly jumped out of his jacket as his Kikaichuu returned to his palm. He was already well on his way home, recalling his bugs. Training was a time he'd let the others be. He was well aware that at least Karin knew of his bugs. However, he wasn't expecting Yuko to follow his beetles straight to him. "H-hai." Shit now he was stuttering.

Yuko just giggled and hopped over. She took a seat on the park bench, patting the seat next to her. Shino bit his lip behind his collar. This girl was another unknown. However, not complying with the girl might end in more trouble. Without a word he plopped onto the bench next to her. Yuko just smiled and swung her legs back and forth.

"Nee, I've heard good things about you from Naru and Kari. Though Kari's wondering why you never talk to us yourself," Her voice was soft, erupting into a gentle hum.

"I… am not used to social contact. Why? Because there normally was not a need." He shifted, almost melting into his jacket more.

"What if we helped you with that?"

He never fell over. "N-nani?"

"Well from what I've gathered you're a good gaki nee. You're super cute and so are your bugs. I think… you would be a good influence on my otouto." She gave him a thousand watt smile. His cheeks felt warm as hid further in his jacket. He nodded mutely. She thought he was cute?

She stretched and glanced up the sky. It didn't seem like she had a care in the world. "You know, you can join us for lunch. That way you can meet Kari and Lee-kun. Maybe if they like you, you can join us for training."

He didn't know what to make of the girl beside him. He almost snapped his neck, turning to face her after the words escaped. She still wasn't facing him, though her blue eyes held a strong twinkle. Almost shimmering. "If… it wasn't a bother."

"Nah, you wouldn't be a bother. You're… interesting." Without another word she got off the bench and walked in front of him, extending a hand. "Nee, I almost forgot! I'm Yuko-chan, Aburame-kun. It's very nice to meet you."

He straightened, glancing at the outstretched hand. He wasn't used to contact in general. This girl was very touchy-feely. Though one hand grasp couldn't be so bad. Without another thought, he took the hand and let her help him up.

"Nice to meet you Yuko…chan."

0o00o0

The addition of Shino into the group was rather quick. Though quiet, the Aburame heir had no bad qualms towards the group. Karin had been worried as the boy was probably not used to loud people. Needless to say, Yuko and Lee were not quiet people normally. They were passionate, especially in matters of training. Even Naruto could be loud when he wanted to be.

Shino, at first, was very annoyed at the loudness of the trio. How could people normally so quiet in classes, have such loud personas? Especially Naruto who rarely could get in five words in class. But the loudness, he realized, came from their passion.

It wasn't arrogance, as he had seen in their Inuzuka classmate, or fawning, as seen in the Uchiha fangirls.

It was the loudness of Yuko and her music, constantly working on routines until she could perfect them. Her repeating the songs to memorize them in her head before incorporating a dance style into a new kata.

It was the passion of Lee who would give himself impossible standards to push himself. His tired voice proclaiming to do the next set after another failed attempt.

It was the fire of Naruto, working his damnedest to move forward despite the setbacks the academy forced on the young boy. His shouts as Karin quizzed him and corrected his stances. His frustration before proclaiming he was going to be the best damned Hokage that Konoha would ever see.

This was a loudness he could get used to. A loudness he could accept.

It still left him with many unanswered questions. It didn't make sense to him that the villagers looked at Naruto with a strong hatred whenever his hood was down. He didn't miss the talk of him being called a demon or the secret threats picked up by his kikaichuu. It didn't make sense that the teachers would mark Naruto down when they gave Shino full remarks for answers that meant the same. It didn't make sense that on certain days Naruto refused to leave the house. Naruto was a good guy: cheerful and every optimistic.

Seeing the downcast look on his face, he began to understand why Yuko would pull pranks on the class and their instructors when it was a particularly bad day. Next time he'd be prepared to offer his own help.

…Perhaps the girl was a bad influence on him.

They were a quiet pair in class, only talking when teachers were gone. Sometimes it would consist of sharing notes that the other had missed. Others it was discussing what they would do for the afternoon. Shino made sure to also retrieve Naruto whenever he was sent out, refusing to let his friend miss out on more than he had to. Their instructors, were without a doubt annoyed.

He didn't think they would go to his father about it though.

Aburame Shibi hadn't known what to expect when he saw one of the academy instructors appear at his door. From what he understood, Shino was one of the better behaved students of the class with good marks and no disciplinary actions needed to be taken on him. He had heard that his son had even made friends. Needless to say, after Torune was taken from them, Shibi was glad Shino finally found people to depend on.

To hear that Shino was causing disruptions in class… that was new. They hadn't gone into details. From their tone, it had something to do with 'that demon brat.' Now Shibi had nothing against the container of the Kyuubi. He was the keeper, but that didn't make the boy the demon. Based on the bias, he wasn't going to get much from the instructors.

"Tou-san, you wished to see me?" Shino waited patiently by the door to his father's office, his hoodie long discarded on a hook after returning from a long day training.

Shibi hadn't missed the subtle changes his son had made. On more than one occasion he'd come home without a jacket, and yet remained in his comfort zone. Often side he could hear loud voices at the edge of the property moments before he returned. He swore he heard Shino snort of all things to one of the comments he heard. There was improvement in his taijutsu, and he seemed to have a stronger drive to learn their clan teachings.

"One of your sensei's had stopped by, claiming you were causing problems in class," he hadn't missed the animated twitch of an eyebrow on his son's face.

"I merely brought Naruto-san back to class when they decided it was okay to leave him outside. Why? Because academy rules state that a maximum send out is fifteen minutes and they try to leave him out for the entirety of class. Apparently they do not know how to tell time." Where had that slight sass come from?

"They were not happy with that." It was more a statement than a question.

"Negative. They do not wish to teach Naruto for reason's unknown to me and his siblings." Hold on. Since when did Naruto have siblings?

"Siblings?"

"Hai. Uzumaki Karin and Yuko currently live with him. They are in the class a year ahead of us. They came from Kusa before moving to Konoha." There was no sense of hesitation from Shino's voice. He looked up, almost expectingly.

"What do you make of them?" His curiosity peaked.

"They are loud. However, they are passionate people. Konoha is lucky to have them." His tone was unchanging. However, he was very sure there was sass now.

"Why not invite them to dinner?"

0o00o0

"This is the place right?" Lee asked, hands behind his back. They had just finished their training for the day and switched out into new outfits to at least look presentable. Lee wore a simple grey oriental style short sleeve shirt and his black pants. Karin was in summer's dress, adorning the Uzumaki symbol on the belt. Yuko wore a bright blue tank top with a grey skirt. Naruto had his jacket wrapped around his waist, wearing blue shorts and a bright orange tee with the Uzumaki swirl. His bandana hung loosely around his neck.

"I figured compounds would be a lot less… plain," Karin adjusted her glasses as they surveyed the area. At first, the invite had thrown them off guard. They almost refused, but deep down they could see Shino wished they could attend as well. Or at least, that was how Yuko explained it. Lee didn't see the problem it. However, she and Naruto were much less trusting. They trusted Shino. However, adults were on an entirely new level.

"Nee, I think it's nice. No need to be extravagant," Yuko cooed.

Naruto just snorted, "Coming from miss extravagant herself dattebayo." As usual, this resulted in Yuko whining at him with Naruto poking her cheeks.

Karin sighed, looking back to address. Well best to knock now before they were late. She knocked softly, shushing the others. Shino answered in less than a minute, no doubt hearing them.

"Konbanwa," They chorused. Shino just quietly shook his head and lead them in. Unlike at school, he was in a simple gray tee that had the Aburame Clan symbol on the back and black shorts. Despite that, he still had his customary glasses. Yuko smirked quietly.

"Nee nee looks like Chou-kun's been released from his chrysalis. You're even cuter now Shino-kun," Yuko sang, earning a laugh from Lee and Naruto.

"Is that completely necessary Yuko-senpai?" He mumbled, face warming slightly. Luckily his back was turned to them.

"Senpai?" To the others, Yuko was horrified at the honorific, going as far as to step back with a gasp. She then began to fidget, "Nee nee it's chaaaaan not senpai. Kari is senpai."

"Oi, you're older than me Yuko!" Karin puffed.

"Nee, but you make a better senpai than me," she whined. Shino vaguely wondered just why he became friends with these people again.

"Tou-san, they are here," Shino called out as they entered the dining room. Dinner was already set, still steaming warm. Shibi had just finished setting out the plates.

"I believe I could hear them from here Shino." He was far less animated than Shino was, just bowing his head as they entered the room.

"Nee, gomen," Yuko flushed, scratching her cheek. "I didn't mean to disturb anyone Aburame-sama." She bowed her head lightly, followed by the others.

"It is quite fine." Loud was the correct term in regards to Shino's new friends. However, they seemed very polite. How the academy staff had a problem with them was beyond him. "I am Aburame Shibi, Shino's father. It is nice to meet you."

It was Karin's turn to speak up as she gave another bow, "Thank you for allowing us into your home Aburame-sama. I am Uzumaki Karin, these are my siblings and our best friend." She allowed the others to introduce themselves.

"Konbanwa Aburama-sama, I am Uzumaki Naruto. Thank you for inviting us to dinner dattebayo." The boy. He seemed harmless and was vibrant as he stood between his two sisters. Karin smiled and pulled him close to her, ruffling his hair.

"Nee nee, konbanwa. I'm Yuko-chan, it's very nice to meet you Aburame-sama." She was energetic, shifting on her feet. Lee went last, bowing to him.

"It is nice to meet you Aburame-sama. My name is Rock Lee."

Why did people ever complain about these kids?

0o00o0

Though they couldn't get a good read, Shibi had invited them back to the compound whenever they wanted. That was praise enough in their books. Seeing the small look of relief on Shino's face, Yuko couldn't help but squish him in a hug, much to everyone's amusement. She was very careful not to squish any of his kikai bugs. Shibi far from missed the fluster of red on his son's face. But those were questions he'd leave for another time.

They organized a few days so Shibi could look over their training. He even helped them with chakra control which both Uzumaki's were desperately in need of. Naruto in need more than Karin. In the days passed they had exams and homework. Iruka was at his wits end, glancing over the papers in his hands.

Yuko had brought her scores into the 80s. Naruto had gone from 40s to 70s after he personally graded the papers. He hadn't forgotten about the bet he made. It was at request of the Sandaime Hokage after all. He also remembered the conversation they had about the hospital incident. But what kind of assignment could he possibly give?

"Something wrong Iruka-san?" Kakashi's voice nearly started Iruka enough to jump out of his seat. He just chuckled, giving his normal eye smile.

"Ma… I made a bet with Yuko. It appears I've lost." He scratched his cheeks.

"What kind of bet?" It wasn't like Iruka to be throwing bets around.

"If they brought up their test scores I'd find a way to make classes more fun. But they're only in their first two years. There isn't much they can do yet." He sighed, glancing at the papers.

"Why not… try a simulation? You know, start small before working their way up. See where they stand morally and intellectually on the field."

Iruka blinked, "That… is a good point. And if they can pass that, they can work their way up into real simulations. Arigatou senpai."

0o00o0

"For today's class, we're going to be something different." Naruto blinked as he glanced up from his scroll. Iruka wasn't the kind of teacher to change lesson plans, no matter how boring they were.

"What are we going to do sensei?" He couldn't quite tell whose voice it was.

"Today we are going to run through simulations. You will be divided into groups of four. The simulations will be based on possible missions you will receive during your life. You must make a plan within the allotted time frame. You will be graded based on the viability of the plan."

Naruto and Shino shared a look. "Think this has to do with…"

"Likely. I've heard Iruka sticks to his agendas. This is new."

Iruka had gone through the teams, watching as everyone arranged themselves to sit with their team members. He had finally arrived at the boys' names. "Aburame Shino, Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, and Abe Kenji."

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the last name. While he personally hadn't had problems with the boy, his friends were another story. On more than one occasion they would try to harass Shino or other kids. Kenji never said a word, but he still laughed. But they had to get through this one way or another.

Shino shifted in his seat. Naruto decided to act as barrier, separating him from their two teammates. He hadn't an opinion on Hinata. She was quiet for the most part and kept to herself. He just gave her a faint smile, adjusting his hood. Why did it have to be teams of four?

Iruka simply handed them a slip of paper. _Your mission is to protect and escort royalty of another country as they move through the Land of Fire. The mission length can vary from two weeks to a month as the person of interest likes to stop and sight see. List the supplies you will be using first. Then proceed to plan. Royalty is travelling in a small caravan: two carriages. Expected to attack: bandits, missing-nin up to A class, rogues, mercenaries. Plan for each kind of assault. This is a C rank mission. You have 40 minutes. If you have any further questions, raise your hand._

Naruto frowned. There was still information missing from the form. Likely to test how they would respond. But he immediately began writing down a mission summary with time-frame, rank, and status. Shino immediately raised his hand as Naruto began writing.

"Oi, why are you raising your hand?" Kenji muttered. "We don't need any help with this."

"Nee, we don't have all the information yet dattebayo," Naruto puffed.

"What are you talking about?" Kenji just looked more annoyed.

"Just watch and listen," Naruto sighed.

Iruka approached them, "Yes Shino-kun?"

"Sensei, for the mission what level would we be at? Also, is it only the four of us or will we be joined by a commanding officer?" Shino's question was quiet and to the point.

"Three of you will be genin, the last will be chunin. Chunin is acting as commanding officer. Any other questions you four?" Iruka smiled.

"What kind of reputation does the ruler hold dattebayo?" Naruto asked, taking note of the positions. They'd have to assign each person a role after discussing questions.

"They are well liked in their home. However, outside the boarders their rivals are not as loving."

"S-sensei… is there… a-anyone who would b-benefit from their p-passing?" Hinata stuttered, lightly fidgeting in her seat.

Iruka looked thoughtful for a moment before stating, "Not anyone that is mentioned. That would be something you learn on the mission. It may or may not be plausible."

"Ano, arigatou." She bowed her head lightly.

"I assume that is all?"

"Hai," they chorused. Iruka just smiled and ruffled their heads lightly.

"Good luck you four." He left them to circle around the classroom.

"Three genin and one chunin. Basically we're choosing who would be a good commanding officer between us. After we choose positions we can discuss the skills we already have acquired or predict we will have. From there we can start our plan." Shino quietly said.

"C-ranks are the missions that tend to go wrong right dattebayo? We'd need to account for who can adapt for the situation going wrong," Naruto added.

"Obviously I'll be platoon leader. What are you dead lasts going to know about this stuff?" Kenji scoffed.

"The way the academy functions is different than the way the ninja world functions. Grades will not account for much." Shino was already beginning to dislike this boy more. Loud and arrogant to boot.

"Then who would you listen to for platoon leader?" the boy scoffed.

"Personally, my vote would lie with Naruto." Shino said. Even Naruto was baffled at the statement.

"N-nani?" Naruto was ready to fall out of his seat.

"Why? Because as you said, we need someone who will adapt quickly. You've shown in training with Yuko, you can adapt to what the situation calls for. And with Karin-senpai you can do it while distractions are thrown at you." He hid a smirk underneath his collar seeing the blonde's blush.

"I-I agree with S-shino-kun," Hinata murmurs. "T-the ability to adapt i-in the f-field would prove a-a s-strong foundation."

"Tch, whatever," Kenji muttered. He was already outvoted.

"T-then it's d-decided," Hinata nodded, taking the paper to fill in positions. She noticed Naruto had been drawing a diagram. "Ano, w-what's this for?"

"Well if it's just the four of us, we'll need to cover the entire caravan. I was testing to see where each of us will be positioned. It would make sense to have someone at the flank, two in the middle, and one in front. Names haven't been added yet because we need an idea of everyone's skills. I have an idea of what scrolls we'll need. Hopefully at this point it's safe to assume we could invest in sealing scrolls considering one of us is chunin. But even a backpack should be able to hold the scrolls we need dattebayo." Naruto shrugged.

"How do you know that baka?" Kenji raised an eyebrow.

"Nee, because I would get attacked a lot I had a lot of ANBU looking after me when I was younger dattebayo." Naruto scratched his cheek. "I had a short attention span, but they would show me somethings. Besides, it would be a basic necessity to have. Sealing scrolls let you carry things you normally can't. We learned that in tools of the trade."

Hinata covered her mouth with a gasp. Who would go after a child? Shino had quietly placed a hand on Naruto's knee. "Let us continue."


	7. Beginnings: Strengths and Weaknesses

Chapter 7: Strengths and Weaknesses

0o00o0

 _Team Members: Uzumaki Naruto, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Abe Kenji_

 _Mission Summary: Escort and protect royalty of foreign lands_

 _Rank: C (must be cautious, c ranks have a habit of turning bad)_

 _Team Ranks (information given upon asking): one chunin, three genin_

 _Platoon leader (chunin): Uzumaki Naruto, rest are genin under command_

 _Position rotations: Hinata (back), Shino (middle left), Naruto (middle right), Kenji (front). Hinata rotates with Shino. Kenji rotates with Naruto. (Diagram provided)_

 _Reasoning: Hinata holds the Byakugan, allowing her a wider field of range. She will be able to warn in case of an attack from behind. An ability harder for some of us. She is a close range fighter so in the case of an attack we may need to bring her back to the middle (thus the rotations)_

 _Shino's kikai can also scout areas and report to him. Also, he is known for his mid- to long range ninjutsu allowing him to respond fast whether behind him or in front. In case of Katon transformations, keep him away, or more specifically his kikaichuu_

 _Naruto, like Shino, can react fast to where situations put him. From forward middle, if needed he can give signs to both Shino and Hinata without tipping off the enemy. He does not have clan training however, so his known jutsu's in the future can only predicted. As such we've only accounted for the basics._

 _Kenji is known better for his taijutsu and can already perform a Bunshin. He can scout ahead when needed or send a clone to scout. In the case of an attack he would be front fighter. However he has a lower chakra reserve so his rotations would be more frequent than the HinaShino rotation._

 _Gear: Food scroll (enough provisions to last at least one month and a half. Better to be prepared in case things go sour), water scroll, several sealing scrolls (used to hold extra clothes and disguises. Also to hold multiple medical kits, tents, sleeping bags, and extra gear. Each person should have their own set), Emergency provisions (soldier pills, extra money, chakra pills), store bought messenger scroll (in the case things turn sour, a need to contact the village will be needed) and trusty prank scroll (doubles as a trap scroll). Each person should hold the standard set of 20 kunai, 20 shuriken and extras in case we lose some in battle. Hinata has been suggested to bring senbon as well and blood pills. She also has homemade ointment that she will be bringing._

 _Extra Information to take into consideration: Ruler is well like by their people, but also has many rivals. Unknown if someone has a gain from their passing (prepare for worst case scenario upon returning to their home). Unlike the others, Naruto has a large chakra reserve. Shino has prepared a way that he can share the reserve in case people run low (top-secret. Just mentioned)_

To say Iruka, as well as other instructors, was impressed would be the understatement of the month. He made teams that had both strengths and weaknesses that would need to be addressed. They considered it to the fine point including in night shifts of who would stay up. It surprised him that they would place Naruto as platoon leader. But they proved it was a good choice when thrown different situations. They didn't over estimate their skills, but they hadn't underestimated themselves either. They knew exactly what they were capable of.

Many groups had overestimated their powers. They hadn't even bothered to ask questions, save for one or two groups. Even though the missions varied, there were similar elements purposely left out. People proceeded without a team leader or careful planning. This problem was mirrored in the other class, who only had slightly better training. The scores however, were similar. Only two teams had passed in that one: The Uzumaki team consisting of Karin, Yuko, Lee, and TenTen and the Hyuuga consisting of Neji and three of their classmates. The Uzumaki group had an infiltration mission that included the assassination of a mob leader. Hyuuga's team was a retrieval mission that had the potential to go astray.

Perhaps this did speak for how ready students would be for the ninja world. They were children so overestimations, Iruka figured, would be seen a lot. But it was clear at this stage many would not be prepared without losing their lives. Perhaps it was time to step up their work ethics. For now though, he'd just report his findings to the Sandaime.

0o00o0

"Your control is getting much better," Shibi commented, watching the pure concentration on his four student's face. It was the simple leaf exercise which both Yuko and Shino took to very fast. However, with larger amounts of chakra, Karin and Naruto were facing some difficulties. Despite that, they were improving. Perhaps it was time to move them forward.

To the side, Lee looked at his friends with great pride. Shibi understood that the boy had problems with chakra. He wasn't able mold chakra just yet, but Shibi was certain he would get to that point in time. Meanwhile, Shibi had given the boy a gift: chakra weights to help him increase his speed. It was loose 'borrowing' but Lee considered it a gift nonetheless.

"Arigatou Aburame-sensei," he had no doubts they would bow if they weren't concentrating.

"That is enough for the hour. It is time for a fifteen minute break."

"Hai!" They all chorused, relaxing immediately and slumping on a pile on the floor. Well, Yuko, Lee and Naruto slumped. Karin plopped down, studying the leaf while Shino wordlessly sat next to them.

Shibi just nodded at them, leaving for his office. He'd let them be for now.

"That's getting a little easier, dattebayo," Naruto muttered. "I'm scared I'll explode the leaf off my head though."

"You have an abnormally high chakra reserve Naruto-kun," Shino commented. "Though I doubt it would result in exploding the leaf."

"Maybe it just runs in the Uzumaki blood?" Yuko suggested. "Have you learned any more about it Kari?"

"Not yet. I need to stop by the library this weekend. I remember my mother mentioned something about Uzushiogakure. If I can't find books on the clan itself, might as well look for the land." Karin said, twirling the leaf in her hand.

"Yosh! I'm sure you will find what you both are looking for Karin-chan," Lee smiled, giving the girls a thumbs up.

"I would like to offer my help as well. Perhaps I can find something in the Aburame records," Shino murmured. Naruto shot him a blinding smile at the proposal.

"Arigatou Shino-kun."

0o00o0

Sarutobi had not missed their conversation. He had already finished his discussion with Iruka, taking the group into a large consideration. When he had taken the girls in at Jiraiya's request he had many doubts. They were an unknown variable despite being children. If anything he expected Naruto to be annoyed by them. But in the few years he's known them, he couldn't picture Naruto without them.

This was a new side of Naruto even he rarely seen. When he was younger, he didn't have the concentration to do much. He rarely sat down to read, only taking in what the ANBU's told him with little interest. But the side of the boy that Iruka had found was something new. He was quiet, but ever so optimistic still. He took in all of his studies all for the sake of wanting to prove himself. He took on bullies and trained hard. Harder than he had when he was alone.

If anything, the girls helped the boy mature. Sarutobi was beyond happy seeing the improvement. It was about time he let them know. It was the least he would do.

0o00o0

Karin had woken up that Sunday with a new found determination. Despite her struggles in the Konoha Library the previous day, she was going to find the information she was looking for one way or another. She smiled, watching Yuko work on another dance routine. This time a more traditional one involving fans. Probably a tribute to their last assignment. Naruto was still snoring on his bed. From what she remembered Yuko was helping him with the basic ninjutsus that they've begun learning. They probably spent all day on it. Lee was on the couch, sleeping peacefully. He had come over for dinner after his intensive Saturday workout and fallen asleep there again. They really needed to get in another futon or something. Maybe he could share Naruto's bed.

Karin started on breakfast, cracking open a few eggs. Inu had taught her how to make egg fried rice. It at least added to their diet so they could have more nutrients. But why did everything in town have to be so dang expensive. Normally she would be her own daily workout, but everyone was likely exhausted from the last night. It was the least she could do.

When everyone was awake and happily enjoying breakfast together, a knock at the door made them freeze in spot. Visitors were not something welcomed for the quartet, especially not at seven in the morning. It couldn't have been Shino. Sunday's were his training days with his father to work on techniques with his kikaichuu unless he told them otherwise.

He hadn't said a word.

With that option out of the way, Karin grabbed the frying pan from the sink. Instinctively Yuko placed Naruto behind her as Karin and Lee approached the door.

"State your business!"

"Lord Hokage has requested an audience." The voice was of a man, gruff.

"Prove your identification." Karin clutched the frying pan closer as she closed her eyes. It definitely wasn't a civilian. One chakra source, around jounin reserves.

" _When people get hurt, they learn to hate… when people hurt others, they become hated and racked with guilt_." The man relayed. From what Karen could see, he didn't move from his spot. She loosened her grip.

"Those are… Jiraiya-jiji's words… who is this?" She wouldn't completely release the pan.

"I was sent by Lord Hokage to retrieve Uzumaki Karin and Uzumaki Naruto. I am one of his person ANBU agents. I believe you know me as Tora." They stood firmly planted where they were.

Karin gulped, opening the door a crack. In front of the door, an ANBU agent with short brown hair stood at attention. His mask was similar to that of a cat with green and red markings. "T-Tora-senpai. G-gomen. We do not get visitors often."

"It is alright Karin-chan. Lord Hokage told me to take precautions." He paused as Karin opened the door further. Lee loosened up seeing Karin open the door. Yuko was not as willing to let Naruto peak from behind her. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"We are just eating breakfast. You can join us, I'm not leaving until we all eat up." Karin just tossed the pan onto the couch, inviting the older man in. Once he was in she closed the door, locking it tight.

"Do you guys often have ANBU in here?" Lee asked, slumping back to his seat. Normally villagers were not accustomed to ANBU as house guests.

"Not a lot anymore. Jiji say's we're old enough to not need guards anymore. They usually only come to retrieve us nee. Unless it's Neko-neechan or Inu-niichan," Yuko said, returning to munching on her rice. Naruto scrambled to his seat.

"Inu-niichan doesn't come by often anymore. But Neko-neechan comes by to teach us how to cook dattebayo," Naruto murmured.

"She just doesn't want you to become a shrimp. You're still the smallest gaki in your class," Karin laughed, poking his nose with a chopstick.

"Maa, Karin-nee that's mean. I'm growing dattebayo!" Tora hasn't missed how they were still tense with him in the room. It was clear, adults were not normally allowed in the apartment limits. He remained quiet, sitting on their couch without a word. Or he would have had Karin not walked over and shoved a bowl of rice in his face.

"Excuse me?"

"Even ANBU need to eat senpai," Her tone was slightly frigid as she quickly turned to return to her seat. He honestly hadn't meant to interrupt during breakfast. Though it was clear they weren't going to take no for an answer. He hid a sigh. He screwed up.

Karin's determination for the morning waivered a bit.

0o00o0

"Karin-chan seemed upset," Lee murmured, watching as she and Naruto took off with the ANBU agent.

"Nee this place is our safe place. The only adults allowed inside are family," Yuko murmured. "Usually that means ANBU are allowed in too, but well…"

"Is this about the attacks you warned me about?" Lee asked.

"Hai. Me and Karin don't understand why, but people really hate otouto. He said that's why he was moved from the orphanage to this apartment," Yuko said, turning on the water to start washing dishes.

"They do not seem to happen as often. Is it because we travel as a group?" He started clearing the table, piling the dishes that would need to be washed.

"Nee, I think it's because we took precautions to hide Naru-chan's face. If they can't recognize him, then they can't hurt him! He only takes off his jacket and bandana when he's around people he trusts." She scrubbed the dishes harshly, not looking up.

"But they still find ways don't they?" It was more a statement than a question, escaping Lee's mouth. Yuko paused before shrugging.

"Only the drunkards. Unless it's Naru's birthday, then we hide out at Jiji's house."

Lee flinched. Yuko talked about that as if it were a normal occurrence for the group. Her voice held a solemn tone compared to her normal energy. Yuko just continued to scrub with a sigh.

"Hopefully that changes one day. Nee I don't want you or Shino-kun to see what happens then."

"You are not alone in this Yuko-chan. Not anymore. I promise, Shino-kun and I will help protect you all." Lee's voice was firm as he placed a hand on Yuko's shoulder. Her stiffened posture finally released at the touch. She looked up at him and Lee swore she looked far too old for her age. Not that he'd say that out loud. But that look of defeat was not meant for a child.

"A-a…nee… arigatou Lee-kun." A small smile found its way onto Yuko's face. She wiped her face with her sleeve. "Nee… Lee-kun can you water the plants? Today is the day Naru-chan normally waters them. But he might forget after the meeting."

"Of course Yuko-chan." He ruffled her hair and made way for the bathroom.

Yuko just focused her attention back to the dishes, trying to calm her nerves. Her hands were shaking, almost causing her to lose grip of the plate in her hands. She took a deep breath, lightening her scrubs. She'd break something at this rate.

0o00o0

"I believe, that you two are old enough to learn about this," Sarutobi began, looking at the two cross-legged academy students on his office floor.

"Old enough, dattebayo?" Naruto blinked.

"Iruka showed me your last exercise scores. Congrats, you both shown to be in the top percentile for that," A smile held on his face. "You showed a kind of maturity that not many have at your age. I believe you can handle this knownledge."

"What is this about Jiji?" Karin asked, glancing around. It was unusual for Sarutobi to be this secretive with them. No ANBU in the room, all away from hearing distance.

"There is no doubt that you both hail from a clan. And I have heard you've been searching for answers. Recently I pulled this information back. Not so that you couldn't find it, but so I could present it for you both to have access to it." He explained, pulling out a small pile of books to place on his desk. He motioned the duo to approach the desk. Karin couldn't help but peer at the covers.

"These… are about the Uzumaki?" Karin was wide-eyed.

"Yes. As your mother had told you Karin, the Uzumaki are scattered across the globe. It is unknown how many survivors are left. This information is rightfully yours, but I would suggest that you do not share this information outside of your most trusted people." He placed down his pipe as he glanced at the duo.

"Why only them dattebayo?" Naruto blinked. It wasn't as if he'd go proclaiming it to the heavens, but there had to be a purpose for everything.

"The Uzumaki was once a great clan. Strong, powerful and feared. Because of this, they had made many enemies. They were known for their strong life forces, strong reserves, and healing abilities. But they also were known as masters of Fuinjutsu. Multiple villages had sought to destroy Uzu, and succeeded."

"So if we showed talent for this… we would be likely targets to outsiders," Karin finished, looking between Naruto and herself. The last thing they needed was for more assaults.

"That is correct. However, you both have a right to learn about your clan and carry on your legacy." Sarutobi didn't know what to expect. A part of him figured there would be anger. It hadn't been a secret that Karin and Naruto had both been searching for this information after finding each other. To have withhold this information from them would likely cause them to hate him. He was fully prepared for this to go down this road.

Seeing them launch themselves over the desk to hug him and cry, however, was a very welcomed response any day.


	8. Beginnings: Root of a New Start

Chapter 8: Root of a New Start

0o00o0

Training for the quintet had only seemed to increase after the talk with the Sandaime. Karin and Naruto would disappear for an hour or two afterschool for calligraphy lessons before returning to group training until dinner. In that time Yuko, Lee, and Shino would work on warm-ups and focus primarily on taijutsu in a free-for-all spar or group exercises. On days they trained at the Aburame Compound and the duo was at calligraphy, Shibi would give them exercises based on what they wished to specialize in. Lee was given space to work out new katas and build strength. Shino would have private time to work with a member of his clan in their hijutsu. Yuko was given scrolls to learn the basics of genjutsu so she could eventually perform the practice.

Aside from that, Iruka had gotten together with other instructors to set up more exercises. Most of them were simulations, as the classes they were experimenting with were still too young to perform the exercises. That would wait until they were at least eight, according to Iruka. Sarutobi took it as a sign that maybe he was a bit too protective of his students. Lessons still went as scheduled.

Months would progress with the new routines in check with little differences. Naruto and the girls had taken up a small part-time job at Ichiraku's that took a few hours out of their weekend. However, Karin told them to consider it as extra training. Most of their work was running deliveries around town in the fastest amount of time possible. Other times, it would be going out to the market to pick up ingredients, allowing them to work on their henge's.

Lee seemed to continually find a man in green jumpsuit whenever he went off for his own training. He didn't know when the man started appearing. Usually he was in the middle of his exercises when he'd hear a rustle in the bushes. Honestly, it was a bit creepy at first. The man had finally approached him, apparently inspired by his youth. He didn't leave a name, but he gave him advice for some of his forms and suggestions to add to his morning workout. Karin didn't know if she was more afraid of: the man or the hideous green jumpsuit Lee and Naruto found cool.

Naruto and Shino had also found a new friend in Hyuuga Hinata. At first, they didn't associate with her outside of exercises. She kept to herself, watching from afar. It wasn't until they saw their normal bullies change target that they noticed. Apparently the girl hadn't held the standards of the Hyuuga and was a constant object of ridicule. To say the boys were unhappy was an understatement. Karin had managed to scare off the bullies while Lee and Yuko focused on cheering the girl up. Shino and Naruto plotted. None of their senseis could understand what those students did to piss off a bee hive, why their lunches were constantly covered in ants, or why they would break into uncontrollable itch spasms.

Too bad for them the smirks of the boys were hidden away behind jackets.

Hinata would often join them for their lunches and weekend study sessions. However, she didn't have the freedom to join them after school without expressed permission. Apparently her father was very adamant about her clan training. That hadn't changed well into their breaks.

Breaks from the academy had found them busier than ever. With more days free, they would set one day a week to focus on their academy studies while others were filled with work, training, and well deserved breaks. There were days they would spend the nights at Shino's after a session run late. They would all crash on his bed, which miraculously fit the five of them.

Even into Naruto's second year at the academy, their friend group remained small. Exercises had forced them apart on more than one occasion, which only seemed to hinder their relationships with classmates. Very few people had taken them seriously, despite their performances.

Karin and a girl named TenTen had begun a friendly rivalry in classes during exercises. Karin was glad to see someone competent enough to keep up with her plans. TenTen was incredibly happy to find another kunoichi who took the role seriously.

Yuko and Lee had finally earned a tiny bit of respect from their classmates after a Taijutsu session. Mizuki had been especially annoyed that day and pitted them against each other. He expected the fight to be one sided in Lee's favor. Most spars only took around five minutes, going until someone dropped. He was looking forward to someone getting beaten down.

It took fifteen minutes before someone had the guts to step between them. Karin was laughing the entire time. Who knew Mizuki-sensei could get so red?

Shino and Naruto seemed to have won silent support through some of the 'slackers' of the class. On numerous occasions Naruto and Shino were paired with one Nara Shikamaru or Akimichi Chouji. Unlike the others, who would call him a dead last for his (rigged) grades, the two would just quietly listen. They weren't interested in doing the work, but were willing to give some support. They'd even help after a few bribes.

Shino had unknowingly made a rival in Inuzuka Kiba after a long debate of who would be platoon leader for one of their scenarios. Shino's planning was precise and calculated, which made the mutt bow out in his debate. They didn't talk in class. Rather, they grunted or made small noises at each other. Kiba at least didn't make fun of them like the rest of his friends. Naruto didn't know if he could call that friendship or not.

The last person that acknowledged them, was Haruno Sakura. She was a somewhat quiet girl at first, often bullied similar to Hinata. Naruto and Shino had known her before she became friends with Yamanaka Ino. On one of her particularly bad days, Naruto had found her crying alone behind the school yard tree. He openly admitted that he wasn't the best at cheering up girls, let alone crying girls. Shino was just as clueless as he was.

Karin had added that onto the long list of things she and Yuko needed to teach the boys about the opposite sex.

She immediately came to the rescue with Yuko. Yuko, being Yuko, made small talk with the girl as Karin neatly brushed her hair to a nice style that complimented her face. Her bangs mostly swept to the left, parted at the right, hiding less of her face. They had gone on about inner beauty and the power of kunoichi. Shino and Naruto refused to say a word in fear they'd piss one of the three off.

The girl still wore the hair style Karin brushed, and sported a bright red ribbon with it. She fell under the category of fangirl, but unlike before she was far mellower. Perhaps it was something in Karin's speech about finding someone who acknowledges you. She even would go as far as to quietly apologize for Ino's loud mouth.

Their academy days seemed to be looking quite nice.

0o00o0

Danzou hid a scowl watching Konoha's Jinchuriki freely run through the halls of the academy. That thing should have been locked up or placed under his own intense training programs. How Hiruzen let it have freedoms was beyond him. The Jinchuuriki was meant to be Konoha's weapon, its ace in the hole.

He noticed it surrounded by a small group of children. One of the girls, a red head, had offered it a piggyback ride of all things which was graciously taken. Since when did it have friends? He'd ask Hiruzen about it.

Of the group, the Aburame heir noticed his presence. Danzou remembered him well enough. When he had tried recruiting potential Clan shinobi into ROOT, he had set his sights on the heir. Instead, he got his adopted brother. To think he would resort to the Jinchuuriki as friend. His shoulders rose as he started egging the group forward with small touches.

Unknown to Danzou, Shino was never going to let him anywhere near his precious people ever again.

The trip to see the Sandaime was short. Hiruzen had only provided the basics: the girls were adopted by Jiraiya and were staying with Naruto. Apparently their names were Karen and Yuko, with no known last names. Hiruzen was also in charge of the trio while Jiraiya was gone, as such they could not be touched unless they wanted to see the Sannin's wrath. But if these girls were close to the Jinchuuriki, perhaps he could come up with a plan. He had the perfect student for them to meet.

0o00o0

Usually when the girls and Lee arrived to class, they were the first ones there. Once in a while they'd see TenTen or the Hyuuga kid there. This time, they found a pale boy with black hair doodling on a scroll. The boy had said nothing, merely looking up from his desk the door closed.

"Ohaiyo," the boy gave a small smile, but it looked far from normal. It sent shivers down Karin's spine. Lee visibly shook. Yuko however just tilted her head.

"Ohaiyo stranger-san. Nee, are you in the right class?"

His small smile began to grow, "Hai. I am Sai, it is nice to meet you all. I've been homeschooled up to this point, that's why you haven't seen me around."

"It is nice to meet you Sai-kun! I'm Yuko. This is Karin, my sister, and Lee, our best friend." Yuko grinned back, extending out a hand. Sai took it without another word.

Karin observed the boy quietly, "I don't know how far home-schooling is going to get you. The curriculum has changed a bit."

"How so?" his voice hadn't changed tone, nor did he show any movement of his face. Why was this boy so emotionless?

"We're doing simulations, along with having open class debates, and having guest speakers in class. First two and a half years we do written simulations. When our senseis deem us worthy enough we will begin actual simulations." Karin explained. "But currently it's on the down low because our class, and the class below us are the ones testing this new system."

"I see. I hope I do not fall too far behind then."

Karin just raised an eyebrow. "What every you say Robot Gaki."

"Robot… Gaki?" That got a small twitch of the eyebrow. Karin's smile turn devious.

"Hai, Robot Gaki. That's your nickname for now."

"What is a nickname?" Sai asked.

Karin turned to Yuko, whose smile grew. Oh, they were going to have fun with this one. Lee silently pitied the artist.

0o00o0

Sai hadn't known what to make of the trio. All he knew, was that they were his mission and he would complete this mission. They were… odd in his book. Yuko was loud, and quite obnoxious. Karin was intelligent but rather off-putting. Lee was just weird. He didn't understand how they were friends.

He even tried the nicknames thing that Karin taught him about. He would try it in an attempt to understand them. After all, it as his mission to get close to them.

Apparently the names "Ugly" and "Bitchy" were not the correct way to start off his mission. That was very clear when Yuko and Karin both punched him out the window. For civilians, they had a strong right hook. Lee at least accepted the nickname "Gejimayo" from him, saying Naruto called him a similar nickname for the first few months of knowing each other.

Karin apologized after he got back to the room. He just smiled at her, keeping up his cheery mask. "It's fine Karin-san."

"No it's not… but Sai-kun you really shouldn't say such mean things!" Yuko mumbled.

"Mean?" He really didn't understand the difference.

"Calling someone ugly is an insult! And you don't call someone a b word to their face," Yuko whined.

"How about not at all," Karin grumbled, tapping her foot against the floor.

"Karin-chan, perhaps you should let him off the hook. He doesn't know any better," Lee tried, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. He gave Sai a soft smile. "We will help you, no worries Sai-kun. Perhaps though, you should not try nicknames with the other students just yet."

"Right… I apologize, Karin-san, for my behavior." He bowed to her. Karin simply waved him off.

"Whatever. We'll add it to the list of things we need to teach you."

Wait… list?

Sai's integration would come at an achingly slow pace compared to the others. With their tougher training schedules, they couldn't always invite him out with them. He still sat with them at lunch, where Yuko, Karin, and, surprisingly, Hinata would try to help him understand people more.

Shino, Naruto, and Lee would go out of their way to attempt 'male bonding' at the insistence of the girls. They would have said no, but Yuko pulled Hinata into making a sad puppy face with her. Saying no felt like a crime against humanity. It had to be a sin against Kami itself.

There were times he would disappear without a word. They normally wouldn't see him until class the next day at the earliest. He never opened up about his past, and the others left it at that. Some things were better left unsaid. That, they could understand.

Many times, Sai was left deep in thought glancing at their small group. He'd keep his happy mask up as he drew. Karin debated on changing his nickname from "Robot Gaki" to "Nezumi" the longer she knew him. She didn't understand why he called himself emotionless. They really needed to get through his thick head.

Danzou was going to regret his decision to submit Sai to these girls one day.


	9. Beginnings: Rival Pains

Chapter 9: Rival Pains

0o00o0

"Well well Shino, it looks like it's you and me," Inuzuka Kiba had a feral grin on his face.

They were approaching their second to last year of the academy and not much had changed for the group. Shino just grunted at the mutt, stepping into the ring. How he had earned the Inuzuka as a rival was beyond him. They evolved from grunts, to teasing, to name calling (curse the damn Uzumaki and their influence over him).

"G-good luck Shino-kun," Hinata smiled from her place next to Naruto. Her stuttering had been brought down to a minimum over the years. Her father allowed her to attend training sessions under the guidance of Shibi, allowing her to witness their unusual work ethics. She was strong, and kept a good pace even though she could not attend every session. With Taijutsu as one of her specialties, Lee had happily taken her as a competitive partner. Poor girl hadn't known what she had gotten herself into with an overly enthused Lee and ended with many bruises the first day. Expecting sneers and comments of her failures, Hinata didn't know how to react when Lee spoke.

" _You are a marvelous fighter Hinata-chan, worthy of a great rival! Yosh, I cannot wait for us to fight again."_

Her fainting still needed a little bit of work.

"Don't end the fight too fast now Shino," Naruto gave a thousand watt smile with his arms behind his head. "I don't think his pride can take it dattebayo." If anything, Naruto was more outspoken when it came to their group. To an outsider, it may have seemed like arrogance, but Shino knew it was just the blonde's way of encouragement. Or perhaps this was just his attempt to fluster Kiba. Either way, it wasn't bad in Shino's book.

"As if the bug boy could beat me," Kiba snorted.

Shino just hid a smile underneath his collar. If the dog breathe couldn't see his change, he'd be thrilled to show it there and then. Shino would _like_ to believe he's changed the least out of everyone. Though he know that would be a false statement if anything. While his habits had rubbed off on the others, theirs had also rubbed off on his.

'We'll see mutt.' His kikai quietly buzzed in agreement.

0o00o0

"Again?" Sai blinked, offering a hand. Yuko was on her back with a groan. Sai had shown to be pretty experienced in taijutsu with a style she was unfamiliar with. Of course, the moment she saw that she bugged him about pitting her style against his.

"Hell yeah!" Her grin was nearly face-splitting as she took his hand.

"You are… still rather odd," Sai sighed. He couldn't really understand her, even after a few years of knowing her. He had tried, he really did.

"Nee, I need to get stronger. We'll be running Platoon exercises this year. Gotta protect our kawaii younger class," She sang. "I mean… my style is my own, so I need to adapt right?"

"That is true." He shrugged. He had slowly been able to understand the bonds created by the Uzumaki siblings over the years. His mask had almost dropped as Karin had scolded him on multiple occasions.

" _If you're sad then show it. If you're happy, enjoy it. Before we are shinobi, we are people rules be damned._ "

It was odd… being inducted into new emotions. His training with Danzou had all but suppressed them in the past. He hadn't even remember beyond becoming Danzou's tool. The first time he got scolded, he truly believed he was hated. Not that he would have blamed them.

 _He didn't flinch at Karin's tone, only glancing down. Her arms were crossed as she stood over his sitting form. He expected another punch, a slap, any form of physical discipline really. He closed his eyes, preparing for it._

 _Cold hands were one his face as he felt his cheeks being pulled. "Ma! If you keep ignoring me I'll have Yuko give you smiling lessons Nezumi-kun."_

" _Nee, I still say he's more a puppy than a mouse Kari." He opened his eyes to see Karin squishing his cheeks. The group was behind her with varying degrees of reactions, none of which negative._

" _Perhaps a turtle?" Lee added._

" _I-I would b-believe perhaps a-a d-duckling?" Hinata blinked._

"But shouldn't you be practicing your kenjutsu?" he added, pointing to the wooden scythe on her back. As he recalled, their caretaker Neko had gotten it for the girl with her boyfriend.

"Nee, today is my taijutsu day. I'm trying to get used to the weight on my back. Besides, until I am properly trained with it, I don't want to use it in a spar with someone." Yuko just kept her characteristic smile as she glanced at the wooden weapon. "It's one thing experimenting with taijutsu. It's another with kenjutsu."

"My my, that actually sounds like you've learned something Yuko-chan," his own lips curved seeing that serene face.

"Oh bite me. Next time I'll get you for sure Teme!"

He looked forward to the day. "Of course, Dobe."

0o00o0

"Hinata-chan, are you ready for this?" Lee grinned, getting into stance. They had all split into pairs, sans Shino who was with his father attending business. They would be joining later, allowing them to train in the meantime.

Hinata nodded, "Hai, senpai. I-I will do my best."

"Hajime!" A bunshin left behind by Karin brought its hand down, signaling the start of the match. It hopped back into the trees as they rushed each other.

Lee leapt into the air, starting with a kick at her head. She brought her arms up, coating them with chakra to block the incoming hit. He twisted his body, immediately flipping backwards seeing the kick connect.

Hinata took the chance to throw her own punches, palms facing out. Lee had already given her permission to use the Juuken style in their spars and she planned on making full use of it.

Karin's clone smiled from a distance before poofing out of existence. Normally she and Naruto would be sparring with them to mix things up but they had had their own plans. With almost four years of fuinjutsu training, they had begun to get creative in its uses. With two Uzumaki minds on the case, they were capable of brilliant things.

Jiraiya could only afford to visit once a year with his duties for Konoha. However, in that time he had managed to teach them some of the basics, leaving them with 'homework' to do. Currently, they were working on a bunshin idea. They could safely bring it within the walls of the compound after several months of practice. It stopped blowing up around two weeks ago.

They had learned early on that Bunshin required too little chakra. Even with the intensive amount of chakra control training, Naruto couldn't produce the little amount needed to perform a bunshin. Karin barely could make a single one. That was… disappointing to say the least. However, if they couldn't do a normal clone, with their new training they believed they could make one.

"Ready otouto?" Karin smiled, already having one of her scrolls out.

"I was born ready nee-chan, dattebayo!" Naruto smiled.

They timed themselves for writing down the necessary symbols. With enough practice they could manage in less than half a minute. Once they perfected it, they could have pre-made seals ready. That, however, would still be some time away.

Once the written seals were done, they added chakra and performed three hand seals. _Inu. Tori. Hitsuji._ The written seals began to glow and puff into smoke with a pop. As the smoke cleared, two near replicas of them stood. It was far from perfect. Eyes were different colors, skin was a dark or lighter hue, hair styles parted on the wrong side. It was a work in progress but they were getting closer. The first time they tried it, they were practically blank templates.

"It's almost there… your eyes are the wrong shade. And it looks like you have Yamanaka color hair." Karin sighed, placing a hand on her cheek.

"And yours is too light skinned. Your hair style is also reversed dattebayo." He ran a hand through his hair. How annoying.

"We've almost got it though. Look how much we've progressed with it," Karin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, we still need to test the burst."

"Hai."

0o00o0

Shino hadn't known what to expect when he returned to the clan training fields. Well… that wasn't a completely true statement. He was expecting destruction at least to the minimum. He knew how Lee and Hinata got after years of training together. He knew how the boy had finally become strong enough to knock over a tree. He knew how Hinata had finally grown confident in herself after months of praise with their group. Her family may not have approved of her, but they did. He knew how Sai and Yuko had formed a small rivalry with each other. It never got too far out of hand, but there were always bruises and cuts after an intense training session. He didn't even want to think of the horror Karin and Naruto could cause when they were experimenting. From what he remembered, they were still fixing the living room after their last indoor working.

He and his father had been gone approximately for an hour and half. That shouldn't have allowed for too much damage. To his surprise, the grounds were pretty clean. How odd. He glanced around the field. Why was everything scattered?

"Nee… Chou-kuuuuuun. Tasukete…"

That was Yuko's voice. But she wasn't anywhere on the field. But if she could see him… he glanced up at the rooves and trees. There was a spot of blue hidden in the leaves. Why… was she in a tree? Let alone that high up. They had only personally begun tree walking exercises (Karin and Naruto had to be ahead because of their reserves). The least he could do was climb it normally.

To further his surprise… Yuko was not the only one in a tree, or an unusual place. Hinata had somehow ended up on the roof of his house, looking for a way down without damaging the building. Sai was soaking wet in the nearby pond. Lee was stuck at the top of one of the trees, belt dug into the tip. Karin just groaned, upside down on a tree. Naruto was nowhere to be seen. Yuko herself had her sleeves caught on the branches, unable to move.

"May I ask how this happened?" Shino groaned. He figured Hinata and Sai could help themselves. Yuko was the closest and actually stuck. He carefully kept an arm around her waist as he untangled her arms. She let out a small yelp, but he kept his grip so she wouldn't fall.

"Nee we were training and then there was a giant gust of wind. Then we were all spread out." Yuko said, lightly clutching one of his arms.

"A giant gust of wind?" He repeated.

"Hai, it came from where Kari and Naru-chan were."

Well that explained everything. "I see. We should get Lee-senpai down then. Why? Because I believe his belt might rip at this right."

"H-hai!"

0o00o0

"So I may have put too much chakra into the jutsu dattebayo," Naruto scratched his cheek.

"You put in the same amount as me and mine barely blew," Karin sighed. "Gomen minna."

"N-no need to apologize Karin-senpai, N-Naruto-kun, it was an accident." Hinata murmured, twiddling her fingers.

"Why were you using wind in the first place?" Sai asked. He had to borrow some of Shino's clothes as his were soaking wet.

"Well, it was a new type of bunshin we've made: the _Fuuton Basuto Bunshin_. Unlink other clones that melt or pop, when these clones are defeated they unleash a gust of wind to knock back the enemy." Karin explained.

"We figured if I couldn't do a normal one, we could create one that had a use dattebayo. We're still working out the kinks because they won't be completely ideal against long range enemies." Naruto giggled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Considering how far it reached…" Shino began. "You both shouldn't use the same amount of chakra. It's possible Naruto has an affinity for fuuton, which is why it created such a large burst. It is also possible that you have an affinity that opposes fuuton Karin-senpai."

"Dully noted."

0o00o0


	10. Beginnings: Exercise Pains

Chapter 10: Exercise Pains

0o00o0

The moment teams were assigned, Yuko slammed her head against her desk. What in Kami's name had she done to deserve this? She was one hundred percent fine with the placement of Sakura on her team. Sakura was a good girl who just needed a nudge in the right direction to be a great shinobi. She wasn't her problem. Rather, it was their two other teammates for this excursion. Yamanaka Ino, the number one Uchiha fangirl of the younger class, and Uchiha Sasuke himself. She could practically hear the screech from their class.

There was no doubt in her mind that everything was going to be going wrong. When their sensei asked if anyone believed they would need a reinforcement team, she immediately raised her hand leaving her head against the desk.

"Yuko, daijoubu?" Karin placed a hand on her shoulder. Yuko refused to look up.

"Watashi o koroshite," her voice drawled out, almost muffled by the desk.

"Ma, it can't be that bad. I mean, you're platoon leader. They have to listen to you," Karin tried. It was unusually seeing her energetic sister so pessimistic.

"No worries Yuko-chan! My team will be there to help you," Lee gave his usual thumbs up and smile. All he received for the gesture was a louder groan. This was going to be a long day.

0o00o0

Sakura wouldn't admit it, but she was excited. She had gotten to work with Yuko on many projects in the past, along with the girl's friends. They were civilian born just as she was, and they were excelling at great rates. In more than one way, she looked up to them.

Not only did she get to work with a great platoon leader, but also her best friend and their crush. In another life, maybe her original jealous nature would have drove them apart. Here, their friendship had thrived. She learned when and where to back off Sasuke. She remembered Karin's words as if the memory had occurred yesterday.

' _Don't let a boy who doesn't give you the time of day eat up your life. You are a strong independent future shinobi. Focus on your friendships, not the boys._ '

Of course, the minute she brought up Shino and Yuko, Karin could only say that Yuko was naturally an affectionate person but that didn't mean they were more than friends. Sakura stayed quiet after that.

They waited patiently near the forest training area. Ino ogled Sasuke, leaving him to promptly ignore her. Sakura waved down Yuko as they approached the field. Oddly enough, Lee was with her. She didn't recall Lee being mentioned in their mission detail.

"Senpai, what is Lee doing here?" Sakura asked, causing the lavender hair girl to blink.

"Nee, Lee-kun's mission involves ours. So he's only listening to what our plan is so he can plan accordingly." Sakura hid a frown. If they had another team that meant reinforcements were given for this operation. Not many teams took that route.

Sasuke glared at the older girl. "We don't need reinforcements."

"That isn't your call to make. It's a capture and detain mission. At any point something can go wrong and I'm not going to risk your safety on that just because you are too proud." It was odd. Yuko's normally soft and warm voice had hardened, slipping out like ice. She was serious, throwing her own glare back at the Uchiha.

Sasuke responded with a tsk and glanced away. Ino, for once, remained quiet. With no other remarks, Yuko took out a scroll and began sketching a perimeter.

"Our target will be heading through the forest and attempt to reach the village walls. When that happens it is game over for us. However, I know the forest around here pretty well. We have ten minutes after I explain this to set up everything we need." Yuko explained, pointing out four trees in her diagram.

"This is where we're going to lead them. Each of you is going to take up a corner, keep your chakra hidden and stay high. Those are where the markings will be. Sakura, you are lookout. If our target tries to move away from this area you herd him in. But do so discreetly. Kunai are a good distraction and if need be I will let you borrow some explosive tags. They're fire cracker ones so they won't make too much noise."

"Right." Sakura nodded. Yuko pointed out the other edge of the perimeter where Ino and Sasuke would be.

"Once they are in this perimeter, you two have to cut them off from leaving. But do not reveal yourselves. We have the element of surprise on our hands, do not waste that. It is all of your job to confuse and disorient them."

"What's the perimeter for anyway?" Ino asked.

"That is the boundary for my genjutsu, which is why I need you to disorient them. If they are too focused on the attacks the last thing they will notice is this being set up nee. Even if they get away, they will not be getting away. Once trapped in this perimeter we will work together to take them down. However, if I call retreat you retreat. Is that understood?" Her eyes had hardened as she glanced them over. Ino flinched. Sakura just gave a determined look. Sasuke made no response.

"Nee, there will be several signals you need to be aware of," she said before turning around. It looked as though she was reaching for a shuriken but instead she crossed her fingers behind her back. "This will be the sign to retreat."

She then let her arm slack, close to her holster with all but her pinky extended. Her other arm was at her hip. "You will not be allowed to show yourselves until you see me in this stance. I will make first contact point. We do not know how strong this person is and as platoon leader I will not risk your safety to test them."

She then mimicked the action of playing a flute. "When you see me do this, cover your ears and hide in the bushes."

"Why?" Sakura blinked.

"I only know two genjutsus right now. The first, which begins our trap. The second is a musical one that I control. Usually I use it for myself to help my katas nee. However, Shibi-tou-san suggested I make use of it to also disorient opponents. The down side however is that it affects anyone within a certain distance of me. However, that's just a last resort jutsu. I can't over use that while keeping the surrounding up. It should stun for a few seconds, and I'd probably only use it to buy us time.

"I will show you where will be setting up. But first I need to speak with Sakura-chan and Lee-kun. Go over your equipment. Keep explosives to a minimal nee."

Ino and Sasuke gave curt nods, turning away from them. Yuko then pointed to the outside points of the perimeter. "Lee-kun, I am going to be setting up the flares on these trees. When they go off, the mission is yours. It'll be on more than one in case something happens to one. In any case, I should have enough to give you one. That one will only activate if the others fail. Also, remember what I said before."

"Right my youthful rival. I shall go inform my team then!" Lee grinned. He bowed to her and Sakura. "I wish you both luck on this exercise." With that, he sprinted off to wherever his team was waiting.

"Why did you need me senpai?" Sakura asked, rising an eyebrow.

"No matter what, try not to get knocked out," Yuko's voice had lost the edge it held moments ago.

"I-I know my taijutsu is pretty bad but-"

"That's not why." Yuko giggled, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Sakura-chan, you are very skilled. You know your limits which is more than I can say for a lot of people. With that in mind, I have a feeling things are going to go bad."

Sakura watched as Yuko made a hand seal. It was a peace sign, with the thumb sticking out. Instead of facing Sakura, it faced the side. "This is the sign I will make for the flares to go off. That means someone is unconscious… maybe even both of them nee. You get them out of there, even if I don't leave."

"I can't just leave you senpai!"

"You aren't leaving me. I simply will stall for time. I have to keep the genjutsu up until Lee's team gets there." She circled a part on her mini drawn map. "There is a clearing here. That is where you all will wait should that worst case scenario happens. Protect your teammates, Sakura-chan."

Sakura stood, staring at her agape. How… why did she have so much faith in her? She was trusting her with this over her other teammates. "I-I… I'll do it senpai."

"I knew I could count on you Sakura-chan."

0o00o0

Tora quietly wondered to himself why he agreed to this kind of mission. When Hokage-sama told him that he and the others were on academy duty, he simply thought it meant another presentation. He did not agree to almost being blown up by the Sandaime's 'adopted' granddaughter. He never recalled her having a thing for explosions until she met two certain Aburame and Nara. If he wanted to complain, then he really needed to keep his mouth shut because that meant going to the heirs' fathers.

He didn't need that in his life.

Senbon were thrown at him, causing him to veer right. He had to admit, she was doing a decent job of keeping him from the wall. But he was still quicker and could out pace her. She couldn't have been alone though. The academy never gave single person exercises. Her teammates could be anywhere.

A kunai flew at him. Someone had gotten ahead of him. He had to give them another point for that. However, something was attached to the kunai. He instantly jumped left, out of the path. A second later, the kunai blew up midair.

Another round of senbon were thrown at his feet and to his right. They were herding him somewhere and they were covering his openings. If he wasn't forced to go easy he'd be able to escape easily. His clones didn't last too long and only seemed to throw them off for a few seconds.

He kept running, sending off another clone. The senbon had stopped, meaning Yuko had likely stopped to retrieve them. That still left her other teammate. He heard the snap of a wire and looked up to see a log swinging at him from above. Instead of jumping away, he added chakra to his fist to break it in its place as he punched it.

The trap however, did not go off alone. Right behind it, a fireball came straight at him. He braced himself, creating the hand tiger hand seal.

" _Suiton_ : _Suijinchuu_ (Water Pillar)" Water expelled from his mouth and curved, covering him. The fire extinguished on impact. He smiled under his mask. It was a good try on their part. From his knowledge, very few students were able to perform nature manipulations. So the Uchiha was paired with her. He knew how to deal with that.

"Is that all the famous Uchiha can do? I thought you were rookie of the year?" He remained calm, deflecting on-coming kunai. They were coming from two sides. It was either the last teammate or the person from before. Perhaps even Yuko. But he doubted Yuko would get angry enough to that kind of response.

"Poor little Uchiha. Am I getting on your nerves? I thought you were going to make your clan proud. I don't personally see that happening at this rate."

That seemed to piss the boy off enough to reveal himself. He outright tried to punch the man. Tora quickly caught his fist and tossed him to the side. He had to subdue without hurting them too badly.

The boy's anger was strong. He pushed himself back up and rushed at him, throwing more punches. From the side, their other teammate was throwing shuriken. From what he could tell their aim wasn't the best, many hitting the floor or accidentally hitting the boy. Sasuke refused to let that stop him. Tora grimaced as he dodge the hits. It would be best to end this quick.

He stopped the assault with one punch, sending the Uchiha flying into a tree.

Sasuke slid on the ground, but pushed himself up, preparing another fireball technique. Tora didn't give him the chance, flinging shuriken in his direction. A purple blur had stepped in front of the boy, deflecting all but three of them. The other three scrapped their arms and legs, embedding in the tree behind them.

"Don't you dare hurt Sasuke-kun!" The girl in purple glared, keeping her kunai out.

'Ah the Yamanaka girl. Poor Yuko. I should take care of them quickly.' Tora thought to himself. He quickly did a tori sign, causing the earth to shake. " _Doton: Doryuusou (Earth Flow Spears)!_ "

Sasuke immediately grabbed Ino but the waist and jumped up. Earth spike spikes shot up from the ground, scratching his ankle. They landed on a branch as Sasuke fell onto his knees. He clutched his ankle with a wince. Ino immediately looked over him.

Tora sighed, 'more focused on the boy than the mission.'

From the corner of his eye he spotted a kunai and jumped into the air. It was likely the third teammate who was helping Yuko. In the air, he felt something prick his back. It was too thin to be a kunai. He could only assume it senbon. 'She's gotten better at hiding her chakra… Shibi-sama has taught them well.'

0o00o0

After Tora entered the perimeter, Yuko immediately followed, climbing up to the highest point possible for her. It had taken her a long time to set up this perimeter with Shino's help. She took a deep breath, making the hand seals she needed.

" _Kori Shinchuu no Jutsu_ (Sly Mind Affect Technique)," she whispered, quietly sending her chakra out. She could only hope that the others were following through with her plan.

Sakura met up with her as according to plan and they headed further into the perimeter. They didn't need to get far to hear Ino shouting at their target.

" _Chikusho_ , they weren't supposed to reveal themselves," Yuko cursed.

"Senpai, they're in trouble. What do we do?" Sakura frowned.

"Stay here, I'm going to go around. When you see a kunai drop from the tree, throw a kunai at him. Throw it at an angle so he can see it, but just barely. He'll change his focus to that. I'll get him from behind."

"O-okay. But I'm running low." She murmured. Yuko shook her head quietly and handed her two of her own.

"Use them wisely."

"Right."

Yuko sighed, hiding her presence to the best of her ability. She had to thank Shibi-tou-san again after this was over. She clung to her tree as the ground began shaking. Why had they revealed themselves before she gave the signal?

She dropped a kunai and grabbed her senbon. Without another thought she tossed them. She wasn't skilled enough to hit any vital points. However, she could at least hit him, which became prominent when two of her three senbon embedded in his back. She observed the situation quickly while he was distracted. Sasuke was already injured. It didn't look at though he could walk easily. Ino was more focused on Sasuke. Ino had done average in her taijutsu and accuracy classes. She had clan ninjutsu, but wasn't as far along as some of her other classmates. Sakura had done better in accuracy, but her taijutsu needed work. The girl knew the basic ninjutsus, but that was it. She could not risk Sasuke taking their opponent head on in that condition.

That meant she and Ino would need to attack head on. _Kuso._ His focus was currently on her, meaning she would need to have her clones inform the others of her plan. 'I'm already running low on chakra from leading him here… we have to do this fast.'

She summoned her clones in the shadows before throwing more senbon at Tora. She had to distract for at least a minute. "Surrender now and maybe you'll get out of this alive." Her voice was cold as ice.

"Not even a genin yet and you're already overconfident," Tora snorted. She twitched at that. No… deep breaths. Remember what Iruka told her. Feelings are good, but not on a mission.

"Aww, you're just mad I got a hit on you. You know, when I heard this was supposed to be some great 'missing-nin' I thought you were gonna put up more of a fight nee," she laughed, blocking a kunai heading for her face. She tossed her last senbon and summoned one final clone. 'Let's try an aerial distraction.'

She closed her eyes, jumping down the tree in the shadows. Imagine the rush of the violins. A sharp 4/4 quadruple at 90 beats a minute. Time her hits. She could do this. She heard a pop and danced.

0o00o0

Tora kept a kunai in his hands, expecting an attack. What he hadn't expected was Yuko to launch herself out of the tree she was in and dive at him, kunai outstretched. He tossed the kunai in his hand expecting her to block it with ease. However, she had taken it to the shoulder and burst into smoke. A substitution? No there was no log there, meaning…

" _Kus-_ "He couldn't even finish the curse as he turned. Instead a knee lodged itself in his gutt and sent him sliding backwards. He coughed out, was that girl trying to get him where he thought? It wouldn't be a surprise.

She just smiled, hopping from foot to foot. He took a breath to recover before launching at her. She didn't play on the offensive however. She twirled and would only throw a few punches. Other than that, she danced around his hits, taking quite a few. Most of those hits would a left a child unconscious. But then he remembered the people she trained with: the jinchuuriki, an Uzumaki survivor, a future taijutsu specialist, the Aburame heir, the Hyuuga heir, and Sai. There were plenty of days she'd come to school bloody and bruised with the others.

She suddenly ducked down into a crouch, though he didn't throw a punch. Within the next second he felt a large sting in his back. Apparently the others had recovered enough to attack. Yuko responded immediately, delivering an uppercut to his chin. It wouldn't launch him far in her tired state. That wasn't what hurt him.

The Yamanaka girl had left her crushes side and brought her leg down, kicking him in the face. Yuko rolled out of the way as he crashed into the floor. From that point, both the Yamanaka and Yuko went after him, trading blows. Yamanaka had a lot more energy than Yuko, probably from staying hidden for so long. Yuko kept on the defensive for that very reason.

It didn't help that their two other teammates were tossing projectiles. He hadn't missed how the senbon and kunai that originally laid on the forest floors mysteriously would disappear. He needed to end this quickly. First, he had to knock out Yamanaka.

She had done well enough in attacking him, managing to land a few of her own punches. However, she hadn't the stamina to keep up with him. Yuko would try her best to change his focus, but the second he landed a punch on the blonde haired girl, he knew she was done. She hit the tree hard and didn't get back up.

The Uchiha dropped down as a result, fury written in his face. Odd, he normally didn't care for his teammates. Yuko had jumped between him and the Uchiha, reaching for her pouch. He hadn't expected the boy to growl and push the older girl away. Yuko scrapped against the floor, breathing heavily. She wouldn't be able to continue for much longer.

Uchiha limped on the field, but got into the standard academy stance. His movements were slower as he tried to rush at him. Tora punched him in the face. "Stay down kid."

The boy glared and pushed off the ground. Tora sighed. He didn't want to do this. He walked toward the boy and punched him in the gutt, knocking the air out of him. He coughed and fell limply on the floor.

"Two down, two to go." He remarked, leaving the boy on the floor. He jumped back as shuriken shot out at him.

Yuko choked, pushing herself off the floor. Two of her teammates were out cold… she had to get them out of danger. She stood up, leaning against a tree for support.

"Well, what do you plan on doing Yuko?" He smiled under his mask.

Yuko just smiled tiredly, pointing at herself with her thumb before adding in a small peace sign, "Nee I'm gonna do what I do best."

Their forth teammate jumped down from the tree, breathing heavily. Pink hair girl. He didn't know her name. She must have been the one helping to lead him to this spot. She kept a kunai out but went to retrieve her fallen teammates. Yuko kept between them, panting. So it was a retreat then.

"I knew I could count on you Sakura-chan," Yuko murmured. She placed a hand behind her back, and smoke appeared. He could vaguely see the girl, Sakura, take off into the forest. Yuko however remained in place, now wielding a scythe.

"You're exhausted. You can't keep this up," He said flatly.

"A-as leader, I will not allow a-any more harm to come to my teammates," she hissed, whether it was in pain or anger, he did not know. "M-meaning, I cannot let you anywhere near them."

Typical Yuko. He wouldn't go after her teammates. Not that she would believe him had he said so. She stumbled, nearly tripping over herself but tried to swipe at him. He jumped above the blade and made several hand seals. The floor began to shake.

" _Mokuton: Shichuurou no Jutsu_ (Wood: Four Pillar Prison)!" Yuko had no time to react as wood surrounded her. Instead of a prison box, as Tora normally would have used, the wood changed into clamps, restraining her arms and body movement.

It was better than trying to fight until she fell conscious. Not that it would take long. From the looks of it, she was already drifting in and out of consciousness. But he was already going to be reprimand for the damaged he'd done to her and that would only be from the Hokage. To think what her friends would do… shivers ran down his back.

Without another word, he took off towards the wall. Well… he thought he was. How… had he returned to the same spot? Yuko just smiled from her prison.

0o00o0

"L-Lee-senpai, the flare has gone off," Hinata murmured.

"Yosh! Then my youthful team, we shall make our move. Remember the plan!" Lee grinned, looking at his team. It was much easier having Hinata on his team. They also had been pair with Akimichi Chouji and Inuzuka Kiba. At first, Kiba wasn't too keen on taking orders from the boy. Hinata, however, persuaded him in her own special way. Perhaps she spent too much time with Karin.

Lee gave a thumbs up as Chouji took off to the left. The rest of them headed right. "Hinata-chan, keep us posted on the status of everything alright?"

"Hai. Sakura has safely left the genjutsu with two others. The genjutsu however, is beginning to f-falter. We must reach it soon."

"Good. Chouji-san should intercept them then. As for the genjutsu, we have until it falls to reach it. I will move ahead. Hinata, lead Kiba there." Lee said, playing with the weights on his ankles. He dropped several pounds and sprinted off.

Kiba watched with wide-eyes, "How in the world does he move that fast?"

"Lots and lots of weight training Kiba-kun. Come on. We can't let him take on our opponent alone." Hinata giggled, hopping ahead of Kiba in the trees.

Lee knew the forest well. The moment Yuko had pointed out which area she planned to trap their objective in he was ready. It was the same place the others had begun tree walking exercises. The same place he began work on new taijutsu moves. The same place Karin and Naruto tested their first few burst clones. He knew the area like the back of his hand.

He could reach it within minutes, not taking long with his weights off. It was hard to read if the genjutsu was still active. By the voices in the mini clearing, he assumed not.

"Yuko, I swear to Kami, deactivate this genjutsu."

"B-bite me."

"I can't send a pulse without hurting you! Deactivate it!"

"Nee, not… n-not my p-problem…"

Lee frowned at her tone. It was cold, but more prominently there was the air of weariness. She was exhausted, likely ready to collapse at any moment. If anything she was just stalling until he got to the area. If this were any other opponent, she would have dropped already.

His stomach bubbled as he clenched his fists tightly. Any tighter and he was sure they'd be bleeding. This was his sister. His best friend. And she was hurting. Without another thought, he moved.

" _Konoha Senpuu_ (Lead Huricane) _!_ "

0o00o0

Hearing the cry out, Tora had no time to react when a series of kicks hit his back. He was knocked forward and rolled with the kicks. It dug some of the senbon already embedded in his back with a wince. Standing in front of Yuko stood a familiar shiny black haired boy. He let a groan escape.

She called in a reinforcement team. Leading that team was Rock Lee. From the shaking fists, flushed face, and lowered eyebrows, it was clear how the boy felt. Fury built up. It was that moment Tora knew he was screwed.


	11. Beginnings: End Results

Chapter 11: End Results

0o00o0

The second Sasuke regained consciousness, he knew he had royally screwed up. They no longer were in the forest area. Instead he found the familiar walls of the Academy nurse's office. That meant the mission was complete, whether it was a failure or not. That wasn't what set him off however.

The atmosphere had dropped almost instantaneously as he shuffled in his bed. A pin could be heard if someone dropped one. His bed was surrounded by several instructors, Sakura, and two upper classmen, one of which was their 'help' employed by their leader. Sakura, however, was standing toward the bed next to him.

He merely let out a grunt.

Iruka was the first to speak up, "Sasuke-kun, we've gone over the exercise that occurred earlier. Would you like to tell us what happened from your perspective?"

"What's there to tell?" He croaked, refusing to meet their gaze.

"For one, why you continually disobeyed your platoon leader's orders. That would be a great start." He knew where this was going. These exercises were simulations that reflected shinobi life. The end resulted in himself and Ino getting hurt.

"Her plan wasn't working from the start," he grumbled. That was partially the truth. The first time, he had been angry and let his emotions get the better of him. He came out earlier than he was supposed to and got hurt in the process.

"So you took matters into your own hand?" What was this an interrogation?

"What of it?" He was getting annoyed. He realized he made a mistake. Couldn't they lay off? He didn't need anyone giving him orders.

This time one of the upper classmen spoke up. The girl with red hair. "You do realize your actions put not only you, but two of your teammates in the infirmary. Not only that, you assaulted said platoon leader in your defiance," her voice hissed. He refused to show a wince. Wait two?

"After all the bad calls she made?" He snorted. Just leave him alone. Alone. That's all he wanted.

"That was not for you to judge. You're supposed to trust your leaders in these missions." The venom did not let up until the other upperclassmen placed a hand over hers.

"Like I'd trust a clanless wannabe who thinks she knows everything," the words escaped his mouth before his brain registered what he said. It wouldn't be the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. This was the first time he could say he felt fear in a long time as the air grew frigid. Now both upperclassmen were glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead where he laid. Sakura had frozen stiff where she stood.

Before anything could escalate, Iruka placed himself between the tensions. "Karin-chan, Lee-kun, perhaps you should go check on Yuko now. I think it's been cleared to move her to the Aburame's."

Luckily for him, they didn't argue with Iruka. The cold refused to leave the room. He turned to look at Sakura who found it in her to regain her composure. Her face was blank for once as she turned to Iruka and bowed, "E-excuse me sensei… I… I-I should really be getting home. Tell Ino I'll check on her tomorrow."

She left before Iruka could get another word in otherwise. That left him alone with all academy teacher eyes on him.

He fucked up.

0o00o0

Shino was not one for animosity. Many times he prided himself in being able to keep his composure, if only to calm his kikaichuu in the heat of the situation. Keeping his emotions in check, even as he grew close to the others, was a great accomplishment. However, there was a cracking point to his composition and the fault lay with a certain Uchiha.

Usually the Aburame temper was only seen in senseless killing of their precious allies. One does not simply harm their allies and escape unscathed. Now he'd have to add harming his precious people to that list. In any sort of fashion. He never planned on letting the Uchiha near them ever again.

Yuko had been confined to his complex in her recovery. It was odd seeing the girl so still and pale (or at least as pale as her dark complexion would allow). Chakra exhaustion did that to a person. He didn't think Yuko would be that person though. It was a foolish move on her part, but they all knew why she did it. She took their jobs in class with extreme seriousness. As platoon leader, she swore to protect her team and did just that. She bought them time to escape while ensuring the mission could be completed with success.

A part of him wanted to find fault in Tora, but the poor man had been harshly assault by both Hinata and Lee after seeing the state Yuko was in. Kiba was left agape at the ferocity of the normally tame taijutsu specialists. Besides, the man had only been doing his job and tried to keep the damage to a minimum.

He refused to blame Sakura after she told them what happened. She followed her orders without question and was ready to jump back upon intercepting Chouji. Ino had more or less been the same, though she had revealed herself along with Uchiha in the beginning.

Rather his malice focused on _him_. He had carelessly jumped into battle despite being given orders to stay hidden. He had tried to take on their objective alone as a matter of pride. He let his emotions get in the way which got him hurt in the first place. It changed the plans at the last second, something hard to recover from for children with limited experience. Ino had gotten knocked out and Yuko had called for a retreat.

She knew their limits, and knew that they couldn't take on the opponent with two people injured. She herself was already tiring and would likely collapse at any moment. Then the boy had the audacity to knock her down.

Shino was furious.

It had only gotten worse in the following days after Lee made the report of what happened. Their classes had quietly sided with the Uchiha. They felt sympathy for the boy being 'harassed' by upperclassmen. His fangirls thought he was so cool for standing up for his beliefs. If there a perfect moment for him to activate his gag reflex, that would have been the moment.

The classroom had become the unofficial warzone of pranks the next day. Karin had almost snapped hearing Neji's offhanded comment about the dancer being a failure as she always was. He wasn't spared even within the premise of his own home.

"I-It's not completely his fault…" he grimaced hearing Yuko's quiet voice. This wasn't the first time the week she tried to calm his thoughts.

"I fail to see how the fault lies with you. Why? Because the hand you were dealt with gave you limited options. You used these options to their fullest potential," He said quietly, resting on a chair next to her bed.

"No plan is p-perfect, Shino-k-kun. I-I've made mistakes. I sh-should have a-accounted for their tempers nee." Her eyes drooped quietly, breathing still heavy. "Besides… you're a-allies are getting restless."

Normally he would have been surprised she had that knowledge. However, the second he had gotten home their buzzing had grown immensely waking the girl from her slumber. It had been increasingly difficult to keep them hushed during class. Luckily his father was away on mission, otherwise he'd never hear the end of it.

"They are… also worried for your wellbeing, though pleased to see you are past the purging portion of your sickness. I believe all will return to normal soon." It wasn't a complete lie. Yuko stared at him leaving him unable to meet her gaze.

"You aren't lookin' a-at me again…"

"Nonsense." How this girl could read him like a book, he'd never know. She just coughed and closed her eyes again.

0o00o0

Hinata normally was a very gentle girl and at one point disliked the thought of violence. In many ways, she could be seen a pacifist. She was weak to Hyuuga standards, as told to her by her own father and the elders of her clan. At one point she had been alone and accepted herself as being a failure.

Then she had met Naruto and Shino. The two class weirdos, who were quiet, if not more so than she. In that rotting self-pity, they reached out and saved her. Suddenly, she wasn't alone anymore. Maybe if things were different they wouldn't have been so close. Her shyness could have off put them or kept her at a distance. It actually had for a while. The bullies would continue to come, and they continued to be her knights. They even invited her out to lunch.

Never once did they put her down or let her feel left out. The others did not have a father like she did, who constantly belittled her. They didn't have a family that wanted them gone. Aside from Shino, they hadn't had family. But they understood the pain she was going through.

They understood and never pushed or goaded as they would in classes. They were patient with her and each other. She never once mentioned her home life, yet they all knew. And for all it was worth, she was grateful to have them. They were her precious people along with her imouto.

In no way did she respect how the Uchiha and his fangirls treated her precious people. The so called "Rookie of the Year" had strove to be the best, and belittled those who got in his way. That was not the way of the shinobi.

The boy had taken it too far when he had gotten into a heated debate with Shino. The tension between them had been thick since Shino had learned what happened. The class was divided. She, Naruto and Shino had only the support of Shikamaru, Kiba, Chouji and Sakura. Ino and some of Kiba's friends were torn in the middle, sitting close to their friends but still clearly divided.

It took one remark for Hinata to snap.

"You all must be real dobe's if you think they actually care for you." The boy had a habit of running his mouth. "They're just orphan's looking for someone to mooch off of."

None of their senseis were in the room to de-escalate the situation.

Naruto's brush has snapped in his hand. Shino's knuckles shifted white. The temperature fell to the floor as killing intent filled the room. Spectators seemed to freeze. Hinata, originally acting as barrier by sitting on the edge of their row, had gotten up from her seat. It wasn't to let the boys out. No, she had walked over to the Uchiha, her footsteps echoing in the silent classroom. At first he had sneered.

No one had called him wrong. Not a single person. Even Yuko, who in Hinata's opinion had been far too kind in the evaluation (Shino said it was because she was internally angsting over the event). Hinata planned on being the first.

No one made a move as the ever quiet Hinata brought her hand to the raven hair's face.

0o00o0

Naruto was tired. He had hated the academy for a long time. While the exercises had made grading a lot more fair for the boy, the people in it had been a nightmare. Why? Why were they so intent on putting him and his friends down when they had done nothing wrong?

Things were beginning to turn around. The exercises showed people he wasn't useless, considering they let their grades drop to appear 'average.' They showed the dedication they put forth into their work, even though they never showed their full skills. All that progress was turned around in a day. Naruto was exhausted.

Yuko was sick and under Aburame house arrest until the next week.

Karin had been on edge since. Lee had nearly punched broken someone's nose in taijutsu class. Sai had quietly released killing intent whenever someone so much as said a negative word on the subject. Shino was in a pissed fury that aggravated his kikai. It would take both he and Naruto a full thirty minutes before class to calm the beetles. And Hinata? Hinata had been quiet.

She stood as the barrier for them from the rest of the world.

To say he was shocked when she smacked Sasuke was an understatement. Normally it was him starting up a screaming fest with the teme. It _had_ been Shino who began the argument today, though his voice wasn't a scream. It was venom.

Naruto personally, at first, did not have anything against Sasuke. He was orphaned, just as they were but had to deal with stalkers on a daily basis. He was competitive by nature leading to many spats between the two. They were similar in many ways, but also different in the same. At one point he tried to reach out to him, but the Uchiha's pride kept him from accepting any help. He was stuck in whatever abyss that his past held.

In Naruto's opinion, the boy seriously needed help. Or at least needed to be knocked down a peg or two.

"What is your problem?" Hinata's voice was that of a tigress, knocking Naruto out of his thoughts.

Sasuke, placed a hand over his cheek, still in shock by what happened. Of all the people to attack him, no one expected Hinata.

"You have no idea what they've been through. W-what we've all been through. You don't know about the sacrifices they've made. Just because you can't get your head out of your ass doesn't mean you can say that about them!" Hinata's own fists were clenched, and her face began to flush crimson. For once it wasn't a blush of embarrassment. "You are very wrong. S-senpai is kind. S-she trusted you on that exercise, a thing she and the others don't do lightly. She got hurt making sure you all could escape and all you're doing is bad talking her and her family."

Naruto had never seen the Hyuuga girl so angry. She was embodiment of a tiger in that very moment, ready to pounce on her prey should he make the wrong move. She had spoken out for them with the intensity that could probably melt most of the class.

It had always been him and Shino sticking up for other people. Insults were nothing new to them. Attacks were nothing new. Bullies were a fly on the wall compared to what villagers had done in the past. Only Kashi-nii-chan and Iruka-tou-san verbally stood up for them (at least from what they've seen. Neko was far better at hiding her threats).

His eyes shone, seeing Hinata's violent fury. There was a very small list of people he trusted explicitly. Jiji. Ero-sennin. Kashi-nii-san. Iruka-tou-san. Shibi-tou-san. Karin. Yuko. Lee. Shino. Sai. Neko-nee-chan and her boyfriend (Hayashi? Hayato… no Hayate that was his name!). Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-nee-chan. There was a difference between trust and _trust_. His heart jumped, mentally adding Hinata down to the short list twice, no three times over.

For the first time that week, Naruto smiled.

0o00o0

Sasuke knew, without a doubt, he had royally fucked up. Suddenly he wasn't looking forward to the rest of the day.

* * *

I am not trying to bash characters. Because every character is going to have a lot of time to grow. Avenger Sasuke sucked balls, and he needed to grow up. I know I'm off on some things, and I'm trying to keep a good number of their personalities in check. But as this is an AU their personalites are shifted in response to the changes.

Yuko is her own character, and she is a major character. However she is not meant to be a female Naruto. Do they have similarities? Yes. Yuko is her own character though. This is an alternate universe that plays with different characters. Naruto is now in a loving environment. Does he still pull pranks? Yes. He has two different personalities. One in Public, and the one he has when he is with his siblings. I just wanted to clear this up.

The time gaps in this are large. For a sense of time: Yuko, Lee, Sai, and Karin are in their last year of the academy. Naruto, Hinata, and Shino are in their second to last year of the academy. For the last year of the academy (at least in this fic) the seniors have chances to experience what it is like to be a platoon leader. So no they are not chunin.

Tora was going easy on the group. He did not want to try and hurt them. He was trying to incapacitate them. Yuko got hurt because she pushed herself too much. That is why he focused on knocking them out and nothing further.


	12. Beginnings: Preparations and SagesReturn

Chapter 12: Preparations and the Sages Return

0o00o0

Karin and the rest of their class had been thrown off guard when the sounds of yelling echoed through the academy halls. Well… not the halls. Clearly it had come from below them, the class younger than them.

While her other classmates had jumped up in shock, Karin had the largest smirk on her face. That voice she could recognize without batting an eyelash. Seeing Neji clench his fists only confirmed it. Their teacher had gone to investigate the noise and Karin took the chance to tug on her friends' sleeves.

"I think it's time we left for the day. Before Hinata-chan murders the Uchiha," she winked. It wasn't as if she would mind Hinata beating the crap out of him. But she didn't want the Hyuuga Heiress to get in trouble. Especially since it would go back to her father.

Lee smiled, moving to the class window. They hadn't ditched classes in a long time. Once in a while Naruto and Shino would join Nara, Inuzuka, and Akimichi, but it wasn't as often. Everyone in their class stared at them before gasping as Lee jumped out the window. They were several stories up. Karin stuck her tongue out at the class and backflipped out of the class with Sai simply stepping off the window edge. It was fun to give them all heart attacks.

Unlike Lee and Sai, who landed safely on the ground, she firmly attached her feet to the side of the building with chakra. The classroom was just below theirs and this saved a lot of time. She casually opened the window a level down, feeling an onslaught of killing intent seep out of the room. She let out a small laugh. Those poor saps must have been frozen in fear.

What she saw, didn't surprise her as much as she thought it would. Hinata-chan was towering over the Uchiha-teme screaming at him. The teme in question sported a bruised cheek and a black eye. Ah, it made her proud to see the kunoichi they helped her become. Shino was already out of his seat, but being held back as Naruto clutched his sleeves.

"Ma, you guys sure love to get in trouble don't you?" Karin laughed, hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"N-nee-chan!" Naruto blinked, releasing his hold on Shino in response. He highly doubted the Aburame heir would attempt murder with the older girl in the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Well we heard our little Hyuuga-hime from upstairs," she winked, smirking as Hinata flushed and took a step away from the teme.

"G-gomen senpai," Hinata murmured, twiddling with her fingers. Uchiha stared in disbelief at the complete 180 personality flip.

"Nah it's fine. I mean if he said something that managed to piss you AND Shino off, I believe that warrants a good scream. You know the saying, Shinigami hath no fury like a woman's wrath, or of course the Aburame equivalent." Karin took great pride on the fear and confusion they've embarked on the class. 'Serves them right.'

"You taught us that one the hard way dattebayo," Naruto rubbed his arm unconsciously. He loved his sisters dearly, but sometimes they were too much. The killing intent seemed to die down as Shino remembered their training sessions. Karin just kept smiling, motioning them to hop through the window.

Shino inwardly sighed. There was no use arguing with an Uzumaki. That was a life lesson he learned early on. With that, he allowed Naruto to grab his wrist and run out with backpacks in tow.

Hinata glanced between them and the class door, "Otou-sama won't be happy…"

"Ma, he can complain to me then. Or if need be, have him report to Jiji, he oversees most of what we do anyway. I'm going to be working you guys into the ground today. Though feel free to give the teme another punch. I know Yuko wouldn't mind. Beside, Naru already stole your backpack so up and at 'em."

Hinata sighed, "You know senpai, I still wonder where you get your sadistic tendencies." Though she did smile at the permission to knock the Uchiha around more. She'll save that for taijutsu class on a later date. Her grin grew as she realized all the possibilities whenever they needed to choose partners.

Karin just looked at the four remaining of the 'dead-last' corner. Was she going to leave them in their torture alone? Never. Instead her grin grew feral. "Shika-kun. You. Me. Shogi. Sakura-chan, Kiba-san, the boys will need a partner or two. Aaaaand I'll make us a big lunch Chouji-kun."

It wouldn't take a lot of convincing. At least for the boys. She remembered their habits of ditching classes that were nonessential. At first, she hated them for dragging her brother along. But there was a certain air about knowing that they all disliked the academic system. It got her brother away from assholish senseis and spared them some sanity in the long run. The boys got up without question, jumping out the window.

Sakura was a variable. The girl was studious, and never left classes. She never had a reason to, normally keeping to Ino. But this girl took a firm stance on their side. This girl had supported her sister. This girl took her orders in stride and never once betrayed them. Karin wasn't going to let her stay there alone.

She jumped down from her spot on the ceiling and outstretched her hand.

She could sense her sensei coming down the halls in stride. They didn't have much time left. Sakura glanced between Ino and herself, biting her lip. Karin couldn't see the look on Ino's face from her position. It looked as though the girl was still frozen even as the killing intent left the room.

Sakura closed her eyes.

An eternity could have passed them by with no words exchanged.

When the bubblegum haired girl opened her eyes, Karin saw a flicker. Her green eyes gleamed in the light as she took Karin's hand.

0o00o0

"Keep it up everyone," Sai kept his hands clapping in a set pace as they jogged around the Aburame training grounds. He and Lee led the group, a good few feet ahead of the others. Behind them, Shino and Naruto slugged behind, adjusting to the new weight on their legs. The boys had decided to try speed training, making use of Lee's old weights. Kiba was next to Shino with Akamaru, keeping pace without a sweat. Chouji had decided to join them, surprisingly enough he kept pace with Sakura as they trailed behind. Hinata kept the rear, if only to make sure her friends didn't slip too far behind.

It was an early warm up for what Sai had planned for them. Laps were nothing if only to help increase their stamina. He recalled them training with the Inuzuka once or twice. However, the others hadn't often joined.

"Remember, this is just a warm up so don't push yourself." In all honesty it was a light jog. For their group, they could complete it with no problems having adjusted to the routine. Sakura and Chouji already had a light bead of sweat forming. They'd have to work on their stamina at some point, he mentally added to his note of observations. Kiba seemed fine and Sai smirked bemused. He wonder how long it would take before the dog got exhausted.

At the benches, Karin and Shikamaru sat down, carefully planning their strategy for a game of Shogi. There were no doubts that the Nara was a genius in many ways, but Karin refused to go down easily. If only because she knew she'd have to switch with Shino should she lose too quickly. Perhaps they could get Sakura to play a few games as well. Sakura _and_ Naruto. Kami knew her brother could use the extra 'training.'

The window to the guest room was open wide, the curtains blowing with the breeze. Yuko was still asleep, tucked in tightly curtesy of a certain Aburame. It was more so they could keep an eye for when she woke up. When she did, they would be ready to have lunch.

Sai just kept a miniature smile on his face. Yuko would probably murder them for ditching classes so close to graduation. She'd smack them around and cry and scream before glomping them all tiredly. That would reassure them she was on the road to recovery. Only a few more days until she was back. Only a few weeks until graduation.

0o00o0

There were many things Shibi became accustomed to once Shino befriended Naruto and company. At times the boy wouldn't be home if he was out on a mission, taken in to the shared apartment. Other times, he'd wake up to find them all collapsed on Shino's floor as the bed had become too small as they grew older. Early in the morning he would see them up out in the fields while two stayed back to make breakfast. According to Shino it was normally Yuko and Lee because they woke up at ungodly morning hours. Despite this, the Aburame compound remained respectfully quiet, aside from training cheers.

It was mid Saturday morning as he arrived home. Already he could spot Lee and Hinata doing laps around the compound. Naruto and Karin likely already let for calligraphy and fuinjutsu practice. They would have work later in the afternoon. Sai was on the training field facing off against an Inuzuka, his ninken, and a pink haired girl in a spar. Where was his son?

He opened the door to their home when he heard the strings of orchestral instruments echo through the empty halls. Following the music found him at the guest room, open only a crack. The room was mostly dim, save for the sunlight escaping the curtains. Shino mutely directed his kikai around the room for his warm ups. They maneuvered through the loud room with ease, circling around the other figure.

Yuko stretched out on the floor, humming along with the strings. An odd sight to see the normally hyperactive girl so quiet. It was also odd to see Shino practicing indoors as well, keeping an eye on the girl. 'Something has occurred it seems.'

0o00o0

A week had passed as things slowly began to slimmer down. Yuko was back, slowly readjusting to the training she missed with the aid of Shino and Kiba. The classes were still divided, leaving them to themselves aside from Taijutsu practice.

When the time to choose opponents came around, Sasuke limped for the rest of the day. Between Hinata, Shino, and Naruto challenging him, he stood no chance even if they held back. This of course infuriated his fangirls who seemed out for their blood. Mizuki was forced to deal with potential kunoichi flying left and right out of the rings. Lessons were hell for the rest of the day, but it was completely worth it.

Up above on the academy rooves, Jounin gathered, watching the classes with milt interest. They've been made aware of the changes in the academy and watched to see the changes. While there had been a growth in potential in academy students, there were still many who needed more training. Luckily Naruto's class had another year.

The advanced class was a mess.

There was a lot of potential in individuals. However, as teams there was going to be a lot of needed work. Only a few children showed prime examples of team work, and that lied in few people.

"Lee-kun again!"

Yuko slide painfully on the ground, digging her heels in. Lee gave a simple nod and launched forward in a fury of punches. Yuko had launched her own to meet his. While Lee stood grounded, she kept in a fluid movement rocking on her toes.

"So, they are the hot-blooded 'losers' of this class?" Maito Gai observed the taijutsu class with pride. He recalled running into Lee several times duirng his late hour training. The boy showed a great promise of youth and a strong sense of the Will of Fire.

"That would be correct." Not many jounin wanted to deal with a student who could only use taijutsu. If Gai was willing to take the boy, then they'd be happy to hand him over.

Morino Ibiki didn't understand why he was here. He had no intentions of taking a genin team. When would he have the time to do that? Yet the Sandaime asked for him specifically. Why was he needed for spoiled brats who didn't understand the hardships of the shinobi world? "How long have they been going at it?"

"It has been twenty minutes," Gai smiled. "Others are already on their fourth partner."

TenTen and Karin stood in their own spar covered in a light layer of sweat. It had been the first time in a few months since they sparred one another. They each kept a good distance, moving in when they saw a strategical opening.

"You're pretty good Karin-san," TenTen smirked as Karin put her arms up to block a punch.

"Right back at you," Karin brought a leg up to kick her side as soon as the punch connected. TenTen didn't have enough time to react and got pushed to the side as Karin distanced herself. She wasn't a front line fighter in the least, but knew how to defend herself. Being forced to spar with Lee did that to a person. TenTen was also a skilled weapons specialist, but a taijutsu master she was not. They landed equal amounts of hits on each other before Karin let herself get knocked out of the ring.

In the furthest corner of the field, Sai kept pace with Neji who was unallowed to use Juuken in practice. Even if he had, Sai maneuvered around him fluidly, landing strong punches on the boy's face. Was there still anger in him for the Hyuuga's bullying? Sai would never say that aloud. His hits however, spoke volumes. Despite that he let Neji land hits, sliding to the edge of the rings.

To say Neji was furious, was an understatement.

"That Neji is rookie of the year right?" The jounin around began whispering.

"According to his test scores yes. He and TenTen are the top Shinobi of the class. The others hold some of the lowest scores."

"Boy is a genius and complete natural at the juuken style."

Ibiki began to pay attention hearing that. For students considered 'dead lasts' and losers by their class, they did exceptional jobs keeping up with the top of the class. They were troublemakers, he'd give them that much from seeing their records. Their grades seemed to drop gradually with the exception of the class exercises. There was more to these students than they showed in public.

'This is more than the Sandaime wanting someone to babysit his _grandchildren_ …'

0o00o0

Karin sighed, running a hand through her crimson locks. Their day seemed to only get weirder and weirder. During Taijutsu practice, it didn't escape her how many people were observing them all. Several jounin level chakra signatures burned into her head and followed them in their classes. She knew the exam was coming up, but didn't expect to be watched this early on.

She couldn't shake the feeling they were still being watched.

For the afternoon, calligraphy was cancelled. Hinata was needed at her home for training (Karin vowed to personally kill Neji should he harm a hair on her head). Kiba ditched earlier with Shika and Chouji. Sakura was with Ino. That left the normal group to their own accords.

Naruto kept his bandana up as they walked the streets, quietly chatting with one another. Yuko animatedly bugged Sai about new techniques they could do for kenjutsu training. Shino discussed various ways to improve his taijutsu with Lee. That left her and Naruto to go over their seals before they reached the outer forest area.

"PERVERT!"

The sounds of a slap echoed through the streets, halting the group. Before they knew it, a blur of white flew out in front of them, slamming into a fence. "That didn't go as planned…"

Wait a second. The gears in Karin's head began to turn as the man in question got up. The voice was gruff, laced with alcohol but not drunk. Add in long white spikey hair and the title of pervert, Karin inwardly sighed. Only one person she knew had that mix.

"Ero-Jiji!" Naruto blinked as the old sage dusted himself. Karin snorted seeing a vein pop out of this head.

"Only three brats call me that."

0o00o0

A/N: Updates are going to start slowing down a bit. Up until Chapter 15, all the chapters were written at the end of summer. But I have classes and other things, so there will no always be an update every wednesday. Especially since I'm brriwng a friends computer just to post these. Mine is dead so I'm typing all my assignments on my phone. It's a really slow process. So yeah! Just wanted to give a little forewarning... Chapters 13 and 14 should be up in time but after that... Just wanted to give some warning.  
Love you all!


	13. Beginnings: Training Trepidations

Chapter 13: Beginnings: Training Trepidations

"You want to do what?" Sarutobi stared at his long time student. It wasn't often the toad sage could afford to visit. When he did he was either spying on the girls in the bath house or maybe visiting the Uzumaki Apartment. He was one to keep his promises.

"I want to take them out for a week or two. The four older ones are going to be genin by the end of the month and the other two could use the extra push." Jiraiya sat on the windowsill, gazing out at the village.

"They still have classes Jiraiya. They can't just skip the last few weeks," Sarutobi's voice kept a flat tone, though his eyes held laughter.

"Hasn't stopped the brats before. Besides, it'll be a good experience to get some training outside of the village. And you already had their teams chosen for quite some time, don't deny that sensei," Jiraiya snorted, turning to the old man.

"Lee had been chosen by Gai since the beginning of the year. And I have no doubts the girls would succeed in murdering anyone they got placed with. It is safer to keep them together. They'd form a great infiltration team."

"Right sensei… Can I take the brats or not?"

"You'll need written permission from Shibi, Iruka, and Yugao. And you'll need to take them all clothes shopping. They were going to get new ninja gear before the end of the year and this will no doubt disrupt their schedules."

"Why were they going to wait that long? And I understand Shibi… but why do I need permission from their academy teacher and babysitter?"

"They've been saving up their allowance for new ninja gear and their fund for the month won't come in until right before the exams. As for Iruka and Yugao… Iruka has taken a parental eye over them in your absence as have Yugao and Hayate. It is only fair you ask them."

Jiraiya just rubbed his temples, "Understood sensei. I'll see to it."

0o00o0

"Jiraiya-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Iruka asked, not looking up from his paperwork. Normally someone would be jumping for joy at the sight of a Sannin in their presence. However, this was not the first time Iruka had met him. Three years into the academy and he had finally learned who his 'kids' mysterious caretaker was. Three years ago he would have jumped out of his seat. This wasn't three years ago.  
"You haven't changed a bit kid. How are the kids doing?" He leaned against the academy walls, glancing out the window.

"Other than almost sparking a civil war within the academy? They are doing fine." The dry tone caused Jiraiya to turn to him.

"Civil war?"

"Yes, one of the exercises went wrong and Yuko got hurt. They were quite unhappy with one of her teammates, well within reason. But of course, being outcasted… few took their side of the argument. It didn't help that the teammate in question said things that caused them to leak killing intent."

"I'll… strive to work on that with them. They are a very tight nit group. I don't think I've seen a closer family, sans the Inuzuka." Jiraiya commented, eyes softening at the thought.

"Well the killing intent was with purpose… someone really needs to look into the Uchiha problem. I don't know if I can last another year of this." Iruka ran a hand through his hair.

"Perhaps speak to one of the Yamanaka's. There is also a chunin I would suggest… Yuuhi Kuranai. I can report to sensei. If his attitude has caused this much problems, then it needs to be looked into."

"That would be well appreciated, thank you Jiraiya-sama. Though something tells me you are here for more than a formal visit."

"…I'd like to borrow the kids for a bit."

Iruka turned all his attention to the man.

0o00o0

Uzuki Yugao enjoyed the little days she had off. Whether it was spending it with her kyodai or with her beloved Hayate, a smile never ceased to exist on her face. The last thing she expected was to see Jiraiya at her front step.

"Jiraiya-sama, is it that time of the year already?"

"Well the girls are gonna be genin soon. Birthdays will be busier than ever." He chuckled.

"They've made a large deal of improvement. Hayate is proud of them, and I am as well. We might start teaching Naru-chan how to use a sword at this rate." She leaned against the doorframe with a small smile at the thought.

"Kenjutsu already? Feels like yesterday they were learning to properly toss kunai," Jiraiya sighed.

"I learned to carry a weapon before I was their age. And don't make me feel this old, I'm only twenty one," She bat his shoulder, moving to stand next to him on the porch. Being on the ANBU surveillance group for the Uzumaki's allowed her to meet the sannin on many occasions. Normally when the sannin was in town, they were dismissed from guardian duties. However, she and Inu occasionally stuck around to make sure their siblings received proper care.

"You're old? I'm the one hitting fifty," he snorted, gazing out at the streets.

"Old man indeed," a laugh escaped her lips, causing the toad sage to whine. "Kidding. Kidding. So what brings you to my lovely home? Kidnapping the kids again?"

"Actually yes."

"Did Hokage-sama actually make you come here to make me sign an agreement?"

The response was a grunt resulting in Yugao's laugh echoed through the streets.

0o00o0

When he ran into the kids, he only had Shibi left to speak with. Well… he had become distracted when a beautiful lady crossed his path again with a fine-

He's getting off topic.

"Well if it isn't the brat trio and friends. Long time no-" within seconds he's knocked to the floor with four bodies piled on top of him. Sai and Shino watched where they stood. Jiraiya had no doubts there was a smirk hidden under the collar of Shino's jacket. Sai outright grinned at the sight.

Brats. All of them.

"Ero-jiji! It's been a year and a half dattebayo." Naruto's bandana fell to his neck, revealing his hidden thousand watt smile. It could probably be a weapon to blind an entire army in the future.

"Don't call me that in public Gama-chan," Jiraiya would have poked his nose if his arms were free. It didn't help they weighed a ton with their weight training. He really needed to set some seals on those things.  
Unless they were doing this to spite him, which was also a likely action.

"Maa, you didn't tell us you would be coming to town. Last Jiji told us you were still in Yuki no Kuni," Karin said, sitting firmly on his stomach.

"And miss my stubborn gaki graduating? Never in a million years. Now get off me ya brats. You're heavy as an elephant."

The four on him broke out into laughter, helping their grandfather figure up. Naruto quickly readjusted his bandana. "Does that mean you'll be here when Shino and I graduate next year dattebayo?"

"Of course. I may be a pervert, but you're still my charges. All of you brats." He motioned his head at Sai and Shino. They boys said nothing, walking to rejoin the group. "Where are you all heading?"

"We are going to my compound for the day. Tou-san insisted on testing our water walking skills and helping Lee-senpai with molding chakra. At this rate he may soon be able to tree climb or release genjutsu," Shino explained. "Naruto and Karin-senpai were working on cliff climbing."

"Water walking already? I thought you were doing tree climbing." Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. Most genin hadn't heard of the exercises outside of leaf concentration, let alone performed them.

"They completed tree climbing a few months ago and immediately began water walking," Lee said. "While they don't have high reserves like Karin and Naruto, Shino and Yuko have both developed well in genjutsu. Sai just likes the practice because he and Yuko can spar in new environments."

"Plus my little Chou-kun can hold it over puppy's head in the future," Yuko chirped, oblivious to the red rising above Shino's collar. "They're good skills and Shibi-tou-san has taught us a lot. I can't imagine how far we'd have progressed without you and the others Ero-jiji."

Jiraiya wouldn't stop the smile emerging on his face even if he wanted to.

0o00o0

Shibi and Jiraiya watched quietly as Shino, Sai, and Yuko traded blows on the water surface. They had only sunk a few times, but recovered before they fell below waist level. It wasn't perfect control, but well enough they could make use of other techniques.

Lee sat in a meditative position next to the pond. In the trees behind him, Naruto and Karin were clashing, using the underside of the branches as their environment. Normally it would be the reverse as the Uzumaki duo were ahead in chakra control. However, with Shibi's test, they graciously left the others to beating the crap out of each other on the pond.

"They have improved greatly," Shibi commented, breaking the silence between the two adults.

"I've noticed. You've done a great job with their lessons Shibi-san," Jiraiya nodded.

"Shino has also flourished with the scrolls you gifted him on his last birthday. We both express our gratitude for the gift."

Jiraiya responded with a wave of his hand. "It was nothing. The girls practically adopted him into the family anyway. He's certainly a better influence on them. Imagine if they accepted an Inuzuka as their first friend."

"I have high doubts the village would survive, let alone have their hearing remaining." It was a joke, they both knew. Jiraiya let out a chuckle. While Inuzuka's were a loud clan (just look at Kiba), they were held in high regard of both ninja.

Quiet fell over them as they turned their attention to the kids. Yuko skidded across the pond after a swift kick to the stomach from Shino. Shino didn't bat an eye as Sai jumped at him. The boys turned their focus to one another, letting a very annoyed Yuko recover. She had sunk down enough to have to spit out water. They probably should have taken their weights off before beginning, but this was just added practice if she could say so herself.

Luckily she managed to place enough chakra in her hands to keep her from sinking to the bottom. Using all her upper body strength, she propelled herself out of the pond into a handstand until she could roll on the water surface and land on her feet. The sudden wave of water hadn't gotten past the boys as they separated. In a poof of smoke, Yuko had her wooden scythe out and leapt at them.

"They're all going to be bruised and bloody by the end of this aren't they?" Jiraiya asked.

"Affirmative. Likely more so after your training trip with them," Shibi said.

Jiraiya stood and stared at the Aburame head. He hadn't yet mentioned the training trip. Shibi's cheek twitched above his collar. Jiraiya just groaned. "You damn Aburame…"

The only response he heard were the quiet buzzing's of Shibi's Kikai.

0o00o0

They left three days later, gathering all their homework and bearings they would miss in the two and a half weeks they'd be gone. They all had one final exercise before the graduation/exams and insisted on staying for that. It gave them enough time to meet with Hinata and the others to explain they would be gone. Should there be any problems, Naruto and Shino swore to beat the crap out of their classmates.  
They were confound to Hi no Kuni, not the Jiraiya minded. One could only travel so far and be back in two weeks. Two weeks Jiraiya planned to make their living hell on earth. The second they left the village, they were already sprinting off towards their destination with few breaks in between. When they rested, they were doing stretches and quizzing each other for the upcoming exams. Other times Jiraiya would have them break for two hour to begin their lessons and eat.

With six kids, he paired them up and trained them in groups of two. Karin and Naruto. Yuko and Shino. Sai and Lee. Jiraiya would switch who he personally trained while the other two teams trained with clones.

0o00o0

"Maa, Ero-jiji what kind of bunshin were those?" Jiraiya witched hearing Karin's question. Seriously, when would they drop that damn nickname?

"Those, Karin-chan, are Kage Bunshin. Unlike the bunshin, which you've learned in the academy, these are solid and require an unforgiving amount of chakra." He explained, summoning a third clone to let the kids observe. Karin and Naruto wasted no time poke and prodding the thing.

"Incredible. It's like Shino's Mushi Bunshin, but without the bugs dattebayo," Naruto blinked.

"I doubt anyone below a jounin could fully master this technique," Karin added. "Will it pop if we stab it?"

"It can take a number of hits unless say…. Tsunade-hime punched it or a vital was hit. Then it would be gone. However, these clones are good for gathering intelligence and training. Possibly even assault," he explained, dispelling the clone. "Unlike your friends Mushi Bunshin, these clones can perform jutsu's given the amount of chakra you place into them. And if there is chakra left in the lone when it is dispelled that is returned to the original. A technique worthy of jounin… but also an Uzumaki."

Both immediately turned their attention to the man in front of them. "You mean…"

"I believe you two are ready to handle this level of bunshin."

Both Uzumaki immediately tackled their godfather.

0o00o0

Shino and Yuko shared a glance as the bunshin lead them to an empty clearing. It wasn't unusual for them to be paired up in training. They had similar amounts of chakra control and the closest in terms of physical prowess. The smile on Jiraiya's face caused them both to raise an eyebrow.

"Nee, Ero-jiji, what are we doing today?"

"Well runts. I heard you two were the group's potential genjutsu users, isn't that right?" The bunshin asked.

"Affirmative. Though we were not aware you had the capability of performing genjutsu as you primarily use ninjutsu and senjutsu," Shino said.

"Well… you aren't wrong kid. I plain suck at genjutsu. However, I have picked up a few scrolls that I think you both would like in your belt." He tossed them both four scrolls. Two techniques were the same, however, the last two differed.

Shino didn't miss the large flush on Yuko's face as she read through one. "You are a cruel man Ero-sennin…" she muttered under her breath.

"The personal ones, I'll let you do on your own time. However, while we're together I want you two to focus on Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing) and Choushinka (Butterfly Needle Fire). These two I'd rather you practice with supervision. Magen is a demonic illusion, meant to use on your enemies. However, as you need to learn the jutsu you may need to practice with one another. Only do so with supervision. As for Choushinka, well… I don't want you blowing up the forest."

That caught their attention as they straightened up. "Blow up the forest?"

"A large amount of paper bombs will be necessary for the technique. I have no doubts with your control you will be able to master both techniques by the end of the week. And if you do, I might be able to find a few more scrolls as… early graduation presents."

"You had us at paper bombs nee," Yuko grinned.

0o00o0

"Ero-sensei what will be our breaks lesson?" Sai just smiled as he and Lee leaned against trees, waiting for their 'sensei.'

"You too Sai?" The Jiraiya bunshin gasped in mock betrayal. "I thought at least one of you brats would show some respect."

"Would you prefer Ero-jiji then?"

Smug little brats. All of them.

"How about just plain sensei?"

"Will you stop peeping on women in the bath house?" Well it was worth a shot.

"Right… Anyway, what do you think I'm going to teach you today?" the bunshin crossed his arms watching the duo.

"Kenjutsu." Both Sai and Lee smiled, causing the bunshin to face fault. How would those brats…

"What makes you say that?"

"Other than your reaction? You put Naruto and Karin together meaning you are working fuinjutsu or ninjutsu with them. Shino and Yuko are the best at chakra control and you'll likely be working with them in genjutsu or possibly even medical," Lee explained.

"And considering Lee-kun is already a taijutsu specialist in his own right and cannot expel his chakra that would leave kenjutsu," Sai chirped.

"You all are no fun," a pout fell on his face. He took out a sealing scroll and showed it to them. "There are several different weapons sealed in here. Find at least one you believe would be suitable for your style of fighting."

They looked through with wide eyes. Surprisingly, Jiraiya had a large selection to choose from.

Lee picked his out first. He kept to dull weapons picking a bo staff and Escrima sticks. He came up with the idea that maybe they could eventually hide blades in one of them with seals. A plausible idea in Jiraiya's book.

Sai chose a simple tanto and arm blades he could hide up his sleeves.

Jiraiya nodded in approval.

0o00o0

The trip had taken around two days with breaks in between. The Valley of the End in all its glory was their training ground. Karin recalled one of their history lessons as the valley as a border between Hi no Kuni and Ta no Kuni. The place where the shodaime fought against Uchiha Madara decades ago.

"Why did you want to train here Jiraiya-sama?" Shino asked.

"Well it was a good enough distance away from the village for us to train without being watched. It gives us a place to set camp with different environments around and lets us go into survival training. Besides, this is where your next lesson in chakra control will take place." Jiraiya explained as they set up tents. At least one of the kids respected him.

"Cliff climbing?" Karin raised an eyebrow.

"Cliff climbing for Sai, Shino, and Yuko. Waterfall running for Naruto and Karin. Then I'll try tree climbing with Lee. You will wake up at five every morning for the next two weeks. We'll start with warm-ups until seven. Eat. Chakra control exercises from seven thirty to nine. From that point on it'll be a rotation of training and partners on my terms. Lunch will be at twelve thirty. Dinner at six thirty. Study time for your classes will be after dinner. I may or may not do some late night training."

"So basically sleep with our eyes open?" Karin snorted.

"Yep."

The group of six shared a look. This was going to be hell.

0o00o0

Karin often pondered how they got themselves into the messes they did. Now Jiraiya had never been kind in training them in the past. He wanted them to be prepared for the worst, so he always made them face the worst. However… being tossed off a cliff was something even she hadn't predicted. Jiraiya hadn't said a word after breakfast. Just smile and take them by the collar and toss them off one by one.  
The unspoken lesson here? Either fall to your death or do something about it.

Still. He hadn't had to throw them off the cliff of the largest valley in Hi no Kuni. At least he didn't toss Lee.

"Chakra in your hands and feet. You need more than you would think. Now!" Karin shouted, hoping the others could hear. Immediately extended her legs out to connect to rocks. She dug her heels in before placing her palms on the cliff.

Naruto twisted in the air and grabbed a hold to the cliff side with a hand first. Without a second thought he dug his heels into the cliff, sticking to place. "He's not playing around dattebayo."

For Sai and the others, they slid off several times. Finding the right amount of chakra to place while falling was far from the easiest thing to do. More than once they lost concentration and fell off. "I've come to conclude this will likely be a daily occurrence," Shino grumbled, ready to dig a kunai into the cliff.

"I must agree," Sai muttered.

"Get used to it boys. We still have a long way to go," Yuko said, digging her nails into the rock. She had to adjust her footing multiple times.

"Have fun climbing up brats!" Jiraiya shouted from the top. He poofed away with Lee without another word.

They had a long two weeks to go.

0o00o0

Waterfall running came for Karin and Naruto after they reached the top. Lee was already gone, likely falling off of trees at the rate Jiraiya was going. Speaking of the pervert…

The second they reached the top he grabbed them both by the back of the shirt and shunshined to the bottom. He went over the basics of how to waterfall run and tossed them a scroll. Instead of leaving them to their own accord, he tossed them up at the waterfall and left.

The others would simply be tossed off again if they reached the top of the Cliffside. That damned pervert was enjoying every second of it.

0o00o0

"You're a sadistic bastard, you know that?" Karin grumbled. Two hours passed and all six of them collapsed in a pile next to the river. She and Naruto were soaked to the bone from falling. They made absolutely no progress. Everyone else was covered in scratches and dirt, laying on their backs.

"You'll get used to it gaki. It could have been worse. I could have tossed you in the second you woke up."

Karin wanted to wipe that smirk off their godfather's face. "Well... what next?"

"For Lee… he is going to be practicing his kenjutsu with a bunshin. For the rest of you runts, it's time to look at your nature affinities." Everyone sat up hearing that.

"It was believed that shinobi do not learn nature affinities until we reached chunin level," Sai blinked.

"Well I'm your sensei right now and I think you all are more than ready to learn this stuff. Now listen up." Jiraiya took out a blank piece of paper and channeled his chakra into the piece. The paper then caught on fire before being put out and dampened. Another second past and the paper split in two before crumbling away. "This paper is made from a special tree and will react according to a person's nature. Katon will ignite the paper. Fuuton will cut the paper in half. Raiton will crinkle the paper. Doton will cause the paper to crumble into dirt. Lastly, Suiton will dampen it. Shinobi are not limited to the affinity they have, though normally only have two."

"So you have all but raiton then Ero-jiji?" Naruto asked.

"That is correct. Katon and doton are the most common in Hi no Kuni. Most times affinities run through family. Commonly, Uchiha had katon and Hyuuga have a tendency to have doton affinities due to their fighting style. From what I remember, Uzumaki have suiton affinities commonly. At your level, I believe it will show your top two affinities."

"Hai sensei!" Oh now they respected him. Karin hid a twitch at the Sannin's growing smirk. Luckily he didn't continue to tease. He handed each of them (sans Lee) a blank paper. Karin had suiton and doton. Sai had doton, katon, and suiton. Naruto had fuuton, suiton, and katon. Shino had katon and doton. Yuko had fuuton and raiton.

"Well well well. This is going to be fun," suddenly training didn't seem appealing anymore.

* * *

A/N: So I almost have chapter 15 done meaning I can safely start posting again.

Time references: Yuko, Lee, Sai, and Karin- 12  
Naruto, Shino- 11  
This is the older groups last year at the academy, approximately a few weeks away from graduation.  
Naruto and Shino still have a year to go.

kyodai- siblings  
Ero-jiji: perverted old man  
This is the last chapter of the Beginning's section. From this point, it will move on to the finals of graduation.  
For reference as to why they're pretty advanced on skills, the group has been training together since they were 6. They are now 12. Jiraiya, when he visits, gives them homework for them to study and practice. Shino, Sai, and Yuko had just finished waterwalking, and Jiraiya had judged that they were ready for cliff climbing.  
Next week should be chapter 14. And hopefully by the week after that I will have 15 up.  
16 may be slower to put up. However, I do plan on making 15 pretty long in apology for lack of updating.  
I hope you all enjoyed!  
One last thing. For the Omake series what would you like to see next? There is still Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, White day, and other holidays. There can also be birthdays involved. I'd like some feedback! Thank you!


	14. YearOne:The Graduation Exam Begins

Year One. Enter Team Four and Team Nine! The Graduation Exam Begins!

0o00o0

A/N: Chapter 15 is almost done. It's just going to take some time. I also have another fic on my fanfiction account that I promised to work on. As I said previously I wasn't going to go into the details of the rest of their training as it'll be bound to show through this arc of the series. As such, this takes place after the two weeks of their training session. There will be descriptions of new outfits. So go wild with that.

0o00o0

"Let's train early he said. We'll make it home in time he said!" Karin shouted as they ran along the roofs of Konoha. They started the journey back home two days ago, but had to stop for a detour. That meant finishing the rest of their track home early in the morning. "Class starts in ten minutes!"

" _Tou-san_ is gonna have _Ero-jiji's_ head for this," Naruto's laughter echoed through the streets.

"My allies have gone ahead to warn Hinata-san. At best we can enter through the second story window," Shino murmured.

"Five minutes to destination," Lee added.

"Then kick it into overdrive people. _Ero-sensei_ owes us lunch for this," Sai grumbled. They were specifically told not to remove their weights. Jiraiya claimed this was another test and they had to treat it as such. They all called bullshit on that, but didn't refuse. They needed to get used to the new weight eventually.

Hinata didn't know what to expect this morning. She knew the others would be returning from their business today. It was four minutes until class started and they still were not back. The soft buzzing of Shino's _kikai_ bug rang in her ear, causing her to turn toward the window.

He mentioned before they left that her _kikai_ would alert her when the hive was nearby.

Everyone chatted amongst themselves, allowing her to slip to the back of class unnoticed. The academy ground was filled with late students rustling into the building. They were nowhere on the ground however. That left one option.

Her gaze turned to the town roofs of the buildings surrounding the academy. From a distance she could see a group of blurs heading directly their way. Without another word she slid the window open and backed away. Three minutes left. They would make it in time.

She slid open the back class door and leaned against the wall. Four blurs jumped past her with a quiet 'thank you' following behind them. In front of her a tangled mess of orange and gray rolled on the floor. "Took you both long enough. I-I thought you would return last night."

"Unfortunately our arrival was further delayed by business. We arrived less than half an hour ago," The blob in gray explained. Shino dressed in a large gray coat with a high collar. It was zipped open revealing a black t-shirt with a beetle design. He wore gray shorts and was wrapped in bandages from the top of his sandals to his shorts. The necklace given to him with Aburame beads and an Uzumaki charm hung around his neck. A small bruise settled on his cheek near his glasses.

"Nee-chan's pissed. If we showed up a minute later she'd go on a hunting spree with Jiji's name on it dattebayo," Naruto's bandana slipped to his neck, revealing his odd whisker birthmarks. He was in a black vest with a high collar and the Uzumaki swirl adorning the back. He had a blue t-shirt underneath and orange and black pants. His arms were wrapped in dull orange bandages. She didn't miss the bruises adorning him.

"You both look horrible," She murmured as they walked to their seats. "What did your guardian make you do?"

"Jiji tossed us off a cliff multiple times a day," Naruto chirped, to which Hinata stumbled.

"He did what?"

"I endeavor that we discuss this at lunch. Most of our training is supposed to be kept from peering eyes," Shino murmured.

0o00o0

Iruka tapped his fingers against his desk, side glancing at the clock. One minute before he was supposed to start. Everyone was accounted for sans four empty seats in the back. They were supposed to be back last night. That was the deal he made with Jiraiya when he agreed to let the others go.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway when the door slammed open and four bodies slid into the room. All four breathing heavily.

"You made it just in time," Iruka commented, watching the minute hand strike the next hour.

"Oh thank _Kami_ for that," Karin groaned, falling to her knees. Iruka's jaw fell, seeing the new attire his 'children' wore. Karin proudly wore a new dark brown jacket with orange stripes along the arms. The Uzumaki swirl lay brightly on her back. She wore a chainmail shirt underneath a dark purple oriental-style top that stopped short of her navel. A small diamond opening lay at her chest. Her skirt also was purple with dark brown shorts underneath and she wore black sandals. A large scroll was slung behind her.

"Nee, I don't remember having to run that fast in a long time," Yuko, more or less, whined as she slumped down. Compared to her bright blue dress, she was wearing a short sleeve, dark blue jacket (in some ways considered black) with a silver stripe running down the sides and her arms. The jacket had a small Uzumaki swirl on the chest. She adorned a dark teal tank top that stopped high above her naval and wore a chainmail shirt that's sleeves reached her elbows. Her shorts were black with an aqua blue stripe down the sides, while she wore knee high black socks. Unlike the usual sandals she wore tai chi shoes. She also had black gloves with metal plates engraved with the Uzumaki swirl.

Iruka twitched at the cuts and bruises he saw. Perhaps he was a tiny bit too protective.

Sai sighed, helping the girls up. He hadn't said a word, simply leading the girls to their seats. Sai's attire was much simpler, wearing a black oriental style shirt. The sleeves reached down to his wrist and hung loosely. The shirt itself however, stopped right below his naval, still revealing a gap. He had black pants that stopped at his calf with a grey stripe down the sides. On his back he know had a sheathed tanto and mid-sized scroll.

Lee followed, smiling brightly. The boys long braid was gone, leaving him with short hair, curving at the back with a green cloth wrapped in place of where a _hitai-ate_ normally was. He wore a dark green, short-sleeved kimono shirt with a black tank underneath. His arms were wrapped in bandages up to his elbows. He wore black and green camo cargo pants, wrapped at ankles and a black belt.

In Iruka's mind, they were finally beginning to look like real shinobi.

"Now then… Since everyone is here on time we will begin the written exam portion. You will be given two hours. After we will have taijutsu and skills testing. When we come back from lunch you will meet with your final exercise proctors and split into groups of three. From that point, they are yours to do whatever they please. Results will be out by the end of the week."

"Hai Sensei!"

0o00o0

The written portion of the exams consisted of written scenarios, history lessons, code breaking, rules, and basic knowledge. With the change in Academy regime, few had trouble with answering.

Taijutsu testing involved landing ten hits on the proctor within the given time frame and demonstration of several techniques. Following that, they tested stamina, making them perform laps.

Skills testing first tested accuracy. Everyone had 10 kunai and 10 shuriken and had to hit moving targets without striking 'innocent.' The basics of recognizing _genjutsu_ and expelling it came next. To their sensei's surprise, Lee had managed to skate by that with very limited problems. While he could not admit a ' _kai pulse_ ', he could mold his chakra enough to disrupt the influence. Recognizing _genjutsu_ came easier with his two best friends practicing on everyone in their group.

The rest of skills consisted of other _bukijutsu_ practices (for those that use weapons outside of kunai and shuriken) and ninjutsu. Lee had no hope for the _ninjutsu_ portion and just explain his condition as Jiraiya told him.

The jounin 'proctors' watched the students at lunch. Most kept to their small group of friends within the class. Ibiki kept his eyes trained on the _Sandaime's_ adopted grandchildren. This was the first time they've been seen in the last few weeks. Unlike other _jounin's_ he knew next to nothing about them. Suddenly they return sporting new clothes with a new air.

Yuko animatedly recalled what happened over their week while Karin unsealed food from a scroll they could eat. Hinata and Sakura gave bewildered looks as the Aburame had to squish the energetic lavender haired girl's cheeks to get her to be quiet for more than a few minutes. Though he seemed to do nothing once his blond companion mimicked the girls earlier actions.

For pranksters, they were great friends with heirs coming from stoic families.

Next to him Gai screamed something about 'youth' which he elected to ignore. They certainly had an odd following.

0o00o0

Sai and the others sat in silence as jounin entered the room one by one, disappearing with students. It was just passed one. They didn't pay much attention until the door slammed open. Every other student inside jumped as they stared at the door.

A large man with scars over his face entered the room, glaring them all down. He wore his _hitai-ate_ as a bandanna covering his entire head. He wore a long black trenchcoat over the standard T &I department outfit in gray. His voice, gruff and hardened as he addressed them. "Alright maggots, straighten up. Team Four: Uzumaki. Yuko. Sai. You are with me." A wave of killing intent hit the students, causing most to freeze. It was weak, likely just to scare them off.

Karin raised an eyebrow at that getting up from her seat. She recognized the attempted of a scare tactic, calling his bluff. "Well… today's going to be an interesting one to say the least."

"I agree with that," Sai muttered, following after.

Yuko simply giggled and waved at Lee, "Nee, Lee good luck! We'll see you at dinner!"

"Yosh! Good luck to you as well my friends," Lee smiled back.

Ibiki rose an eyebrow. For students, not officially _genin_ yet, they had balls to ignore killing intent. The trio followed him out the door without another word. "We will be going to the Forty-Fourth Training Ground for your final exam. This exam I am giving you will be made of three parts, all of which I will explain when we get there. Is that understood?"

"Hai, Sensei," they chirped in unison.

"Let's see if you can keep up with me then. You have until three to reach the objective." He smirked, before _shunshinning_ away.

Karin pressed her lips together and rolled her eyes, "Damn show-off higher ranks."

"You already know his chakra signature?" Sai asked.

"Naturally. His is very cold… but also warm… like a glass lantern. I'll be able to find him as long as we keep moving," Karin said.

"Nee, then let's get moving! We have a graduation exam to pass!" Yuko giggled. Karin smiled and nodded. They got into formation: Yuko leading, Karin in the middle, allowing her to give directions to both her and Sai, and Sai kept the rear. Without another thought they ran out of the academy and onto the roofs of the village.

0o00o0

Lee didn't know what to expect waiting for his own proctor. Most of the proctors were quiet, save for scar face. What was he trying to prove by releasing killing intent? Given his luck, he would also have the one proctor who wasn't normal.

" _Dynamic Entry_!" The door was kicked off and sent sailing toward the window. The remaining students jumped in their seats as a man in a green jumpsuit entered the room. He had orange striped leg warmers, the konoha flak jacket unzipped, and his _hitai-ate_ worn as a belt around his waist. He had a bowl cut and eyebrows similar to Lee.

"Gai! How many times do we tell you not to use that inside the academy?!" Iruka shouted, slamming a hand on his desk.

The man immediately rubbed the back of his head, "My apologies Umino-san. I will strive to remember that."

"Another warning and I'll throw you out myself," Iruka glowered. They couldn't keep replacing furniture every time Gai wanted to make an entrance. He grumbled under his breath before continuing his work. Gai turned to the remainder of the class and saluted.

"I am Maito Gai! Team nine: Hyuuga Neji. Tenten. Rock Lee. I will be your proctor today. I will await your arrival on the roof!" Without another word he ran out the broken door.

Lee stared. That man… he recognized him from somewhere.

' _Lee I swear to Kami if you ever come home wearing that ugly…_ THING _I'll personally throw you off the roof_.'

Oh yes, Karin was complaining about ugly green jumpers when he brought it home. The one the creepy stalker sensei gave him. This was the man who would watch his Saturday training in the past.

"Lee-san, are you coming?" TenTen's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She and Neji waited patiently at the door.

"Hai. Gomen TenTen-san. I was mulling things over."

This was going to be a long day.

0o00o0

"There are two other chakra signatures in the path of the sensei. They seem to be expecting us," Karin said, slowing their pace.

"Do we go around or plow through then?" Sai asked.

"I do not believe our sensei is aware that Karin is a sensor type nee. This might be part of our test, so they could follow us no matter what we choose," Yuko murmured, stopping the group entirely.

"He purposely gave us until three. Our destination shouldn't be too far ahead. It makes sense." The trio gathered around each other, so not to be heard by outsiders.

"Then we need to trap them, otherwise they'll just continue to follow us. Go with Formation G. Yuko, playlist seven, track five to start with. Change how you see fit. Sai, get to painting. When I give the signal, we'll employ detainment plan three."

A smile fell on Yuko's face. Formation G was one of her favorites though one of the newest. She was going to have a lot of fun with this one.

0o00o0

Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu stood at the ready. Ibiki had employed them to help with the genin exams. To say they were surprised to hear the Morino fucking Ibiki got assigned brats was an understatement. Naturally, Kotetsu broke out into laughter. Of course Ibiki had heard said laughter and pulled them both aside.

So maybe saying that they were 'employed' was the wrong term. This was more punishment.

All they had to do was delay the brats. How hard could that be?

"Nee, what are you two doing here?" A lavender haired kid walked out of the bushes, looking straight at them with doe blue eyes contrasted by her dark skin. She fit the physical description of one of the brats Ibiki spoke of.

"Shouldn't we be asking you that? Why aren't you in class?" Izumo raised an eyebrow.

"Nee, why? Because this is the way to my test of course silly." She laughed, rubbing the back of her head. Hook. Line. And Sinker.

"We cannot allow you to pass." Kotetsu kept a grip on a kunai. Why was she alone? They took the test in group of threes. No one else had gotten past them aside from Ibiki.

"I don't believe I asked your permission on the matter," A pout fell on her face. Was this girl really a ninja? "Now please let me through."

The response to that were kunai thrown at her. But instead of moving, the girl stood there and took the hits. A kunai embedded deep into her forehead, causing both chunin to freeze. Even civilians knew how to dodge! Why did she just stand there?

Few seconds passed, seemingly an eternity, for the two who believed they just murdered an academy student. The body hit the floor with a thud, followed by silence. Few seconds before the girl dispersed into smoke and the kunais fell to the ground. The smoke triggered a whistling melody to echo in the woods around them.

"Above!" Izumo shouted, pushing Kotetsu out of the path of the girl now in the air above them. Yuko brought her scythe down, pulsing with chakra, in the spot they once stood. A crater lay where the chine struck as the chakra dissipated.

"Fast reflexes. Good. This wouldn't be fun if you two were slow nee," the girl laughed, grinning a hyena's grin. "But to fall for a trick like that, you two can't be that smart."

Kotetsu twitched. Who did this brat think she was?

"That hit could have killed us!" Izumo shouted.

"No. It would be stupid to use a killing hit on a fellow Konoha shinobi. See, I'm not stupid like you are and I'm only twelve. But you two? You two are ancient." The girl held her scythe close to her. "Nee, maybe I'd break a few of your frail bones, but it won't kill you! Ehh _Oji-sans_?"

"We're only in our twenties you brat!" Izumo gulped. It wasn't every day the carefree Kotetsu got angry. Let alone at a child.

"Like I said nee. You. Are. Ancient. Oji-san." The words rolled off her tongue. "And extremely stupid."

Izumo felt they were missing a piece of the puzzle and jumped into the air. From the corner of his eye, he didn't miss a black blur heading straight for his partner. "Kotetsu!"

Kotetsu was ready to pound the girl in. However, in attempting to take a step he was frozen in place. A weight wrapped around his ankles, preventing him from moving. "S-snakes?"

"What? Are you that surprised?" Yuko asked. She left herself wide-open. Izumo landed on a branch and frowned. She _wanted_ them to attack her.

'That snake isn't a summon… but what is it made out of?' He frowned. Black… it couldn't possibly be ink could it? 'Time to test a theory.'

The girl turned her gaze to him. "Maybe one of you isn't stupid…"

Kotetsu just growled louder at that. How dare she? Izumo sighed, jumping into the air. Instead of focusing on the girl, he turned his attention to the snakes. He took a breath and spat out objects, looking similar to senbon from his mouth. Yuko could only spot it when they impacted the snakes, bursting into water.

She clutched her scythe tightly. "A _suiton_ technique… quick thinking."

The snakes melted away, allowing Kotetsu to jump and join his friend. "This girl is a pain in the ass."

"Well I don't disagree there. But where are her teammates? Even if she was a scout, they shouldn't have left her alone this long."Izumo murmured. The girl's smile grew sinister.

"Now now, who said anything about her being alone?" Sai's voice echoed around them. Izumo and Kotetsu turned around in time to see two black and white lions lunge at them.

0o00o0

"Welcome my youthful students to your final exam!" Gai shouted. On the benches in front of him Lee, TenTen, and Neji sat in silence. "As I've introduced myself before I am Maito Guy, a jounin specializing in Taijutsu."

Now that peaked Lee's attention. He didn't know his 'stalker,' as Karin put it, was a taijutsu specialist. Perhaps this wouldn't be so horrible.

"You have two simple tasks. You are to escort me to my home residence. From there I will retrieve an item that you must personally deliver to the hokage. Simple enough?" Gai gave a grin and a thumbs up to them.

"So a simple escort and delivery mission? Are they separate missions or the same?" Lee asked. Neji raised an eyebrow at that. Why was it important to ask that?

"They are two separate missions no worries. The second I give you the object, your first mission is over."

"Hai, Gai-sensei!"

0o00o0

Playlist Seven, Track Five- Just Like Fire by Pink

Formation G: The basics of it is that Yuko goes to distract and gauge their opponents, giving Sai the chance to work on his Choujuu Giga technique after observing the enemy. Karin's part will be shown next chapter

Bukijutsu- weapon techniques (i do need to make this correction. Kenjutsu is in reference normally to sword arts. Bukijutsu refers to the use of weapons and has many subcategories such as kenjutsu. Though in reference to last chapter, Sai is taking up Kenjutsu, and Lee had the option to also take Kenjutu. However with his selected weapons his focus is bojutsu)

Also, it doesn't show them as wearing weights. Because they aren't wearing them. Jiraiya used seals, as he mentioned in the previous chapters he would do in case that wasn't easily seen.

And lastly: The Forty Fourth Training Ground is the Forest of Death.

Guest: I do have teams selected already for the Rookie Nine. I'm not going to spoil anything. But many events in the year 2 section have already been decided. For now, you'll have to wait and see. We still have plenty of year one to go through.


	15. Year One: Testing Trials!

Chapter 15: Year One. Testing Trials! Time to Take Action!

0o00o0

Sai kept a grin on his face as his tigers attacked their prey. For shinobi, at least the black haired one was easy to anger. The Choujuu Giga technique was his specialty. The snakes? A distraction for his tigers. Unlike the snakes, his tigers wouldn't be defeated so easily.

"Oi Yuko, change to P2 and track three for now. Let's play a bit." He didn't wait for her answer as he unsheathed his tanto.

"Fall Out Boy. Nice choice for a great build up," Yuko laughed a hyena's laugh in response. The girl sailed through the air with a flip. Sai was right beside her, launching at brunet. The first thing he decided they needed to do? Separate them.

These two were two peas in a pod from the observations he made. The calm, down to earth one and the hot-blooded mess. A dangerous combo in the field, especially if they worked together often. But all partnerships had a weakness and Sai planned on exploiting it.

The brunet acted fast, meeting his tanto with his own blades. Sai hid a grimace at that. Of course this guy had skills with weapons. Just his luck, he supposed. Maybe Danzou-sama was right in saying he should have learned to use a tanto sooner. There was no possible way he could defeat this guy using only his tanto, but they couldn't reveal too much. Luckily, all he and his tigers had to do was pounce.

0o00o0

Yuko danced, swinging her scythe in time to each piano rift and the drop of each beat. The inked tiger beside her, moving in time to her own steps. It clawed and scratched and roared at the chuunin in front of them. Even missing a strike, the tiger would come to her aid, clawing at the man before he could hit her. Her smile only grew seeing a vein pop out of his forehead.

"So you're the dobe of your duo aren't you?" Yuko asked, digging the dull heel of her scythe blade into the ground. Keeping a firm hold on the snath, she propelled herself in a vault as he threw a punch. He hit air as she catapulted off his back. The ink tiger took the opportunity to swipe at him.

0o00o0

Kotetsu grimaced, falling back to the bushes. Perhaps he was letting his emotions get the better of him to let a genin wannabe get the drop on him. He had to calm himself. "What's it to you brat?"

"Well…" Yuko drawled, hooking her scythe to her back. "A dobe and teme duo are great. But they aren't the best nee."

She took to tossing kunai at him. In response he brought out a pair of kunai blades to block the projectiles. What did she mean by that? "What's better than a duo then?"

0o00o0

Izumo had to admit, these kids were impressive. They covered their ground well and to bring ink paintings to life was a feat he personally had never seen before. Would this warrant a pass? That would be for Ibiki to decide.

The kid he was fighting did have a mean right hook. Though his skills with a tanto could be improved on. There was still something missing to this puzzle. This entire time only two of them had attacked. Even then, aside from the ink animals, they only showed promise of taijutsu and kenjutsu. Were they holding back?

"Something doesn't sit right with me about you kids," He grumbled under his breath, jumping out of the way of another punch.

"Oh, and what would that be shinobi-san?" Sai's voice remained monotone, but his gaze held laughter.

"Where's your third teammate?" He had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

Sai blink. And blinked. And blinked. Izumo would have taken the chance to punch the kid again. The tiger did not appreciate the gesture, biting down on his arm before could connect with his target.

Without warning, Sai laughed. "And here I thought you were the smart one Shinobi-san." A gleam appeared in his eyes as he stared Izumo down. "What made you believe she wasn't here in the first place?"

0o00o0

Karin was having the time of her life. She had to thank Jiraiya, even if she was still pissed at him. Kage Bunshin made performing barrier fuinjutsu much easier than working alone. Especially without Naruto by her side. Though she supposed she had to get used to it at some point. It proved to be even harder while hiding chakra.

Stealth was not her strong suit. She wasn't the one sneaking into ANBU headquarters in bright orange and blue without getting caught. No, that was Yuko and Naruto. Inu had to learn the hard way to not miss Naruto's birthday without prior warning.

She may not be the queen of stealth, but she knew damn well how to lay a trap. A three prong trap to ensure capture: barrier, seal, and ambush. Not necessarily in that order. Detainment plan three normally called for ambush first. With the barrier set in the selected area, she would be ready to activate it.

"You two get a special job," She whispered to two of her returned bunshin. Holding up two tags, the clones nodded. There were no need for spoken orders. The plans they came up with in the case they were ever teamed together forever stayed in her head. The two clones henged into squirrels and took to the bushes.

It was time for the signal.

0o00o0

"What's better than a duo? Well… a triangle has more foundation than a line oji-san," Yuko winked. She felt a chakra string tug at her pinky and flipped backwards as Kotetsu lunged to strike her. She stuck her tongue out at him as kunai were flung out at him. The chunin narrowly dodged, moving to the side.

Sai, also feeling the tug, flipped back allowing his tiger to take the brunt of Izumo's hit. A seal glew on the tiger, causing it to dissipate into ink and cover the unsuspecting chunin. He would have to thank Naruto for the advice another time. Without another word he hopped away, only looking back to see two squirrels making their way through the bushes. His smile only grew. He tugged back at the string, letting his teammates know.

0o00o0

Kotetsu hadn't known what to make of these kids. Why the sudden retreat? In terms of stamina, they seemed to still have energy. A retreat didn't seem logical unless they had actually acknowledged the chunins' strength. He doubted it with the girl's attitude. And there was still the problem of where their third teammate was.

He shook off the thoughts, focusing on helping Izumo. It was clever, using the ink to blind him, if only temporarily. Ibiki might actually enjoy this team. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, the boys good for a student. Though his skill with a tanto needs improvements." His friend sighed, trying to shake the ink out of his hair. "Ibiki has his work cut out for him. But we should go after them."

"Right…"

They were both ready to take off when their bodies froze in place. Was their third teammate a Nara? No. That couldn't be right. The next Nara child to graduate was supposed to be the head's son. Izumo managed to tilt his head enough to see snakes and sealing tags wrapped around their arms and legs. The short burst of being frozen word of fast, but they were completely locked in place.

"Capture complete." A third voice spoke up. The duo- no… trio of academy students reappeared, stepping out of the shadows. Capture? Was this the real purpose of their test? Ibiki never mentioned it.

"What's the meaning of this you brats?" Kotetsu's voice was a low growl.

"Nee, we figured you wouldn't let us go that easily Oji-san," Yuko laughed, leaning on her scythe.

"We sensed you both a while back. So we decided since beating you wasn't really an option, the fastest way to get passed you was to catch you." Sai glanced over at Karin.

"You both were so focused on Yuko and Sai at the beginning, you gave me enough time to work on part two and three. Once I finished the seals, I was able to signal them. It looked like a retreat, but really it was used as an opening." The red headed girl just smirked at them both, flipping a paper between her fingers.

"You didn't even notice my genjutsu apply. Then again, it was when I tried taking your heads off. It still needs work, because you saw teme's snakes coming, but by pulling back I was able to put the rest of my focus on hiding our two key components, courtesy of Kari-chan nee," Yuko laughed. The air wavered, before revealing two squirrels. In a poof of smoke, the two Karin clones took their place. "Believe it or not Oji-san, I knew we couldn't take you in a fair fight."

"And with that, we must bid you goodbye," Karin bowed, giving them a cheeky smile. "We don't want to be late for our test."

The trio began to walk away when Izumo called out, "hey, what about us!?"

"Mah… we'll release you after our test. If you behave well," Sai simply responded, ignoring the cursing that followed.

0o00o0

The only thing on Lee's mind, was this was oddly easy. In comparison to their exercises, this felt like something they would do when they were eight. Traveling through the village, everything seemed at peace. Lee suspected as such, as they tried to keep ninja business away from civilians when possible. That didn't mean, however, that they were safe.

This was likely part of the test. He vaguely recalled the new jutsu Yuko was working on. It altered the state of perception of an object or person. He wouldn't put it passed their proctor to employ a trick like that. He'd have to keep his senses up.

They were beginning to reach the less populated areas of Konoha, not far from their apartment. Whatever Gai had in store, he would be ready for it!

0o00o0

Ibiki patiently waited outside the fence of the Forest of Death, taking the chance to read. He still had about an hour before the kids arrived, likely more if Izumo and Kotetsu held them back to the last second. The training ground was not well known, nor commonly used outside of the Chunin exams. He doubted, even with these kids being adopted by the third, that they knew where the area was.

All of those thoughts however, came crashing down as he saw the trio of troublemakers walking down the path. Izumo and Kotetsu were nowhere in sight. Perhaps he underestimated them, but academy students should not have had the power to beat two chunin. He wondered what other surprises these three could possibly come up with.

Sai was the first to speak as they approached him, "Team 4 reporting for duty sensei."

"You all are early," Ibiki raises an eyebrow at them.

"What, it was just a simple follow you, wasn't it?" An innocent smile graced Karin's face. Cheeky brats.

"Correct." The question of how they kept up lingered in his head, though he didn't voice his concerns. "Did you encounter any problems?"

Yuko merely blinked, placing a finger on her cheek and glancing up, "Nee… only two Oji-san's. Nothing we couldn't handle."

With a sigh, he shook his head. Obviously they wouldn't give him answers until later. Internally shaking that off, he gave them each a stern look. "Well… you passed the first section of your test maggots, with time to spare. We will immediately move onto the second portion."

He glanced at the sun. It couldn't have been later than one forty five. Originally he was going to give them more time for this portion, but given their hidden talents… "Your next task is to gather intel… on me. You have until six this evening. The quality of your work will warrant if you pass or fail. The meeting spot will be here."

"You know, normally in cases like this we still know our target's name," Sai's voice held a dry tone.

"Morino Ibiki. You have four hours." Without another word, he shunshined away. He'd need to check up for Izumo and Kotetsu to get answers.

0o00o0

Tenten hadn't known what to expect when Lee took for the roofs of the alley they turned down. If anything, it was intuition. Lee was not a person to act without reason. He took the job as seriously as his unofficial siblings, and those were kunoichi who had earned her respect throughout the years. Neji ignored Lee's actions, but she set out to keep close to Gai-sensei, keeping a hand close to her pouches.

She was right to do so, catching shuriken heading towards them in the corner of her vision. She countered with her own, summoning a clone to take any hits from behind she couldn't see. "Neji."

He hadn't needed to be told twice. "Byakugan." Within moments, he moved, tossing kunai into the air to block incoming projectiles. "Six above us, not including Lee."

"Protect sensei. I'll give Lee a hand up top." Before she could hear his affirmation, she hopped to the roof of the building. Lee was already doing well enough, distracting one group of students. Upon further inspection, however, she could clearly spot the hitai-ate adjourn most of their foreheads. Likely genin overall, but they couldn't risk underestimating them.

She dive into battle, focused on her own shinobi opponents. Civilian born, similar to her and Lee from the looks of it. Good. They would be on an even playing field for now. Opening a scroll from her back pouch, she summoned forth a kusarigama. Without a second to spare, she swung.

0o00o0

Lee already had his bo staff out, remembering the vigorous training Jiraiya. He had more training than Sai, though it likely wouldn't compare to Yuko and her scythe. Nonetheless, he was ready. He spun his staff and launched forward, aiming at their heads. From the lack of flak jackets, the probabilities were high that these were genin they were facing. One he recalled being in the upper class who had not fully gone through the changes in the academy. That would leave his team at an advantage on that part. However, unlike his team, these students were under the command of a jounin. He needed to tread carefully.

He slammed the kontei against one of their cheeks, slamming one of the genin into their teammate. The third was fast to react, throwing a fist at the boy. Had he held slower reflexes, that would have left a hefty bruise on a cheek and been enough to throw him off balance. Training with Hinata, Naruto, Shino, Sai, and Yuko had made him anything but. He flipped backwards, bringing his legs to their chin. The force was enough to send the student into the air. Luckily Jiraiya had swapped his normal weights with gravity seals, or he would have felt guilty. Their weights were anything but light, and the force of that hitting a person would leave heavy bruising for days.

The first regained their senses and charged at him once again. Digging a kontei into the ground, he launched himself off the ground into another kick. The hit landed square in the chest as Lee managed to knock the student down. He placed a foot on his chest, keeping his staff at the boy's throat. "Please do stay down. I do not wish to hurt you further."

The older boy struggled, trying to throw Lee off. By now, Lee fully expected the second student to be recovered. His thoughts proved corrected when a kunai flew by, scratching his cheek. He jumped forward, getting off the older boy he was on and turned, reaching for his weapons pouch. Instead of a kunai, he pulled out a small pellet and threw it at the floor. Immediately, their side of the roofs filled with smoke.

0o00o0

Tenten sailed as she swung her kusarigama. The weapon's mistress in training would not let any distance stop her in her dance. She swung from the kusari, smashing the fundo into one of the genin's faces. The force was enough to knock them off the roof and down to Neji. There was no time to worry about that however. The other two were fast to retaliate, throwing kunai. Without hesitation Tenten jumped into to air, wrapping the kusari around her arm to do a hand sign. She summoned out three clones, letting one take the brunt of the kunai assault. The other two launched her from her spot, tossing her towards the two genin she was fighting. Pulling back her chained fist, she pulled off a punch as she entered their space, managing to knock one of the two down. Keeping the momentum, she rolled with the punch and landed behind them.

The final genin retaliated, moving forward with a kunai. They managed to dig it into her side, only to be met with smoke. If there was one thing Tenten learned from their classes, it was to play your hands well. Launching an attack into enemy's territory always came with repercussions. She had been injured on more than one occasion for slip ups. If your back was turned, anything could happen, from an attack to a trap. She wasn't going to fall for something like this anymore. Immediately she swapped with one of her clones and loosened the chains on her arm.

With their back turned to her, she flew forward. As they turned towards her, she swung the kusari once again. This time, instead of allowing it to hit their face, she wrapped it around their arm and pulled. They fell forward, still off balance from her trap. Using the surprise to her advantage, she surged their forward and slammed the kashira of the kama against their head. They stumbled, immediately clutching the surely bruised area. Without hesitation she slammed her foot against their stomach to sent them right into their teammate.

0o00o0

As soon as the smoke spread, Lee immediately reached for his puch again. From it he pulled a pack of makibishi spikes and marbles, and tossed them at the floor. He laid low, listening for the sounds of feet. He didn't make a move aside from placing his bo staff away. In this environment he needed his speed to make sure they stayed down.

Their voices were clear as they helped their third teammate recover. If his intuition was right, they would think he use the smoke as a means of escape. However, that wasn't his means in the least. From their voices, they were only a few feet away from him. Taking out a kunai, he launched it at the sounds, hiding behind his makibishi spikes. Limiting his footsteps, he launched another.

They didn't speak, though he could hear their footsteps from his position. Right into his trap. They didn't hear the placement of the traps in their attempts to help their friend. Noble as any leaf shinobi, however, they left themselves wide open. As the first student slipped on the marbles, he moved.

"Konoha Shoufuu (Leaf Rising Wind)!"

0o00o0

Neji was no slouch in his job. Another set of students had been placed launching projectiles at he and their proctor, narily letting him off the hook. This however, was no issue for him. As he activated his byakugan, he also reached for a kunai. Within seconds he expertly blocked all of the incoming attacks. From the exams over the years, he was well aware of Tenten's skill, knowing that the weapon prodigy would be able to take her opponents and in the least, stall. Lee, he would at least acknowledge the boy could defend himself. Was he worth his time? Not in the least, but they had to work together.

Gai spectated from the side, keeping an eye on all three of his potential students to the best of his abilities. He could hear the sounds of the struggle from the roof, almost worried. They had employed multiple genin teams to help with this exam. His team was meant to special in close quarters combat, but he wanted them to be prepared for anything. From their records, Lee and Neji were both taijutsu fighters. Lee could not learn ninjutsu, but in his eyes Gai could see a genius of hard work. Despite his limitations he made an impression on the man and Gai was ready to teach him all he knew. Perhaps he could help him with certain types of bukijutsu. Neji was known as the Hyuuga prodigy and no doubt had the flames of youth burning within him. Perhaps if they could expand from his taijutsu they could make him a better fit ninja. And Tenten was brimming with potential herself. She was a bright kunoichi, specializing in bukijutsu. She could easily balance out as the mid-range and long-range fighter when they needed her to be. She could cover both of her teammates when necessary.

They already had the makings of a good team, though they could use improvements. From the look of it, Lee had been the first to sense the trap. He immediately launched into action. Tenten was the second, taking notice of her teammate's actions and immediately took a defensive position. Neji had ignored it until Tenten took action. That would be a problem in the future if he didn't take his team seriously. Nothing he could do about it now. They were impressive, and Gai was sure he had the new academy system to thank for that. It really showed putting the last batch of genin against this year's potential graduates.

From above he spotted some already being knocked off the roof. He hadn't bothered to get out of the way, watching how Neji would react. While they didn't seem to be conscious this was training for another type of sneak attack when one was alone.

With the byakugan, Neji could see the student falling as soon as they left Tenten's area. The onslaught was continuing and if he let up Gai would surely be hit. That was when it hit him. He summoned five clones, letting them take the brunt of the assault. They wouldn't last long, as they weren't completely tangible clones. However, they would last enough for his ploy. With his speed he jumped up, getting behind the the falling genin. Controlling the chakra in his hand, he outstretched his palm and with a force, sent the student flying into the path of the shuriken and kunai. It would hurt, but certainly wouldn't kill the student.

Using that as a distraction, Neji gripped Gai's arm and led him further down the alley. From the ground could hear Lee's shout and a pile of smoke. That was unexpected, but a smart move on his part. Blurring the view of the 'enemy' and using that to his advantage. Such youth! Tenten was finishing up her own opponents, before jumping down. In her hands now was a bow as she fired shots in the direction of the students behind them. Within moments, Lee joined taking his place in front to deal with anyone who may appear. Now this was the kind of work he wanted to see from this group. Hmm, they'd be good for escort missions too. So many possibilities for them.

0o00o0

There were not many things that could surprise Morino Ibiki. He could probably count them all one hand truthfully. But of all the surprises, he did not expect to find Kotetsu and Izumo wrapped up in sealing tags and surrounded by a barrier. Unusual kids indeed. How could any of them be that advanced in fuinjutsu? Not many fuinjutsu or barrier specialists were around to take in a student so young, despite the so-called changes to the academy.

He was prepared to remove the seals when he heard footsteps approaching. Staying hidden, he watched as his three potential students approached the barrier. Uzumaki immediately pulled off one of the seals, forcing the barrier down. With that, Yuko and Sai approached the two bound chuunin.

"Nee, Oji-san," Yuko sang, circling around Kotetsu as though he were her prey. "You were hired by our proctor yes?"

"What do you brats want now?" Kotetsu growled back, obviously annoyed. Whatever they had done to him and Izumo must have been a lot.

"Wow, and here we were ready to offer a trade," Sai brought a hand to his face with a fake gasp. "But if you'd like to stay like this all day I suppose we could leave you be."

"What kind of deal?" Izumo raised an eyebrow, watching the dark haired orphan as he circled.

"Tell us about Ibiki-sensei," Yuko purred, playing with a kunai now. "You must know something about him after all."

"And if we don't?"

This time Uzumaki laughed, "Well, considering I'm the only one who could break you free… other than say otouto and sensei, or of course jiji."

That confused both chuunin. Who?

At their expense, Yuko and Sai joined in the laughter. Yuko grinned, "Imagine being found by Hokage-jiji. I can imagine his reaction turning in on this nee."

"Y-you're… you're Hokage-sama's grandchildren?" Kotetsu gulped. They both recalled the rumors of the elder man watching after several orphans. It was no doubt that he looked after the kyuubi container, but these girls as well? And the bratty boy?

"Adopted yes," Karin smiled, "He's the one taking care of us when our guardian is away. See our guardian is a busy man, but very skilled. He trained us to be the best. So, we can leave you, embarrassed might I add, to be found by Jiji. Or, you can tell us what you know and we let you go free. No one has to know about this little adventure."

"So do we have a deal shinobi-san?" Sai's smile was the final straw. Ibiki hid his impression. There was more to them than meets the eye. But who could their guardian be? He'd put the clues together eventually, or ask Hokage-sama after these tests. He was chosen as their teach for a reason, but what?

"Fine," It was Izumo who agreed first. He didn't blame them. These were students, not yet genin. What they were asking for wasn't much, and if anything they'd only give the basics such as occupation. Basic information that could be found in the records. They played their hands well with a captured 'enemy' so to speak, still acknowledging them as ninja of Konoha and not true enemies. Rather examiners with purpose. He'd have to watch them more.

0o00o0

"T&I department ehh?" Karin hummed, "We have an interesting proctor."

"I'll see what Nee-chan knows about her. Considering her… occupation, she should know something about it nee," Yuko murmured.

"I think I'll pay a visit to Sakura-chan's little friend then," Sai replied off-handly. Two valid sources for information. Given what they knew, Karin nodded. She could go to Jiji about it as well, and follow their sources at the library. Actually, there was plenty she could do and plenty she could gather with her new jutsu. She waved her hand up, signalling for Sai and Yuko to leave. They knew their missions and would follow whatever leads they gained. They would meet back 30 minutes before their given time.

"Hey, what about us!?" Kotetsu shouted as they left. Karin shook her head.

"I'm right here shinobi-san. So calm down." She couldn't resist the eye-roll is she wanted to. "I just had to make sure they were at a good distance in case you tried stopping us again. We have a test, and we plan to pass it, lest we risk not hearing the end of it from our guardian. We spent the last 2 weeks training extra non-stop for this."

"Our portion of your test is done. We have no need to hold you back," Izumo answered.

That seemed to be the answer she was looking for. Without another word, she placed chakra into another seal, placing it over the ones on them. Immediately they retracted, allowing both chunin to land regain motion.

"There you go. No hard feelings," She laughed, placing her hands behind her head.

"You're tough runts. Just what has your sensei's been teaching you?" Kotetsu asked, rubbing his arms with a grunt. They were still brats in his book.

"We're the first of a new generation in teachings of the academy. In order to better success rates in the field as well as survival rates, new exercises were incorporated into the system. We've done everything from survival to capture training with the help of retired shinobi and other teachers." She walked a few steps away from them, glancing toward the direction their hidden proctor stood. "Me and Yuko have been training ourselves since we were six with the help of our family. I want to be the best for my future goals."

"What prompted the change?" Izumo blinked. He recalled the academy system had softened over the years of peace.

"...well you'll have to ask Jiji about that," she mused. "Besides, I need to go report too. Goodbye shinobi-san… Ibiki-sensei."

The last thing she saw, before bursting into smoke were the paling, startled faces of their testers. Oh well… that's not her problem. She was only a clone.

0o00o0

When Yuko appeared at Yugao's doorstep it was just past 2:20. To say the ANBU agent was surprised was an understatement. "Yuko-chan, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We came back safely Nee-chan," Yuko sang, twirling in place. "Do you like the new clothes?"

Yugao couldn't help but laugh at the young girl's antics. Typical Yuko. "They're very fitting imouto. I'm glad you came back alright, Jiraiya can be a harsh teacher when need be."

"Yeah… he is. He threw us off a cliff for cliff climbing practice… but we learned our natural affinities! He gave us a lot of homework too. Me and Naru are wind affinities so Ero-jiji said we needed to practice lots. It's one of the toughest," she sighed. Yugao led her in so they could sit on the couch for tea. She knew she would hear more of this story once they planned the graduation party for her younger kyodai. Hayate smiled seeing them enter.

"Well… if it isn't my kawaii kouhai. How was your test?" With a cough, he gave the girl a patient smile. Yuko immediately brightened. Yugao took her seat next to Hayate, giving her own smile as she leaned on her partner.

"It was great! I'm pretty sure we passed. And we got this really cool guy as a proctor for our field portion!" She waved her hands in the air, speaking with enthusiasm.

"Oh, who was your proctor?" Yugao hummed, taking a sip of her tea.

"Uhh… his name is… err… oh yeah that's right! His name is Morino Ibiki. He's head of the Torture and Interrogation Department! I mean he must be pretty busy, but Tou-san or Jiji must have asked him. I'm really excited… but a little scared. I don't know a lot about him…" She paused looking down at the table separating them.

"Well… I never thought I'd see the day Ibiki would be working with academy students. Potential Chunin yes, but below that no," Yugao blinked. How odd for her little sister to take such an interest in the proctor. "But there's nothing to be scared about, he's a very loyal shinobi of the leaf. One of our best."

Hayate followed her with a nod, "Actually, I was on Ibiki's genin team years back. He's always been serious."

"Oh? You don't talk about your old team often," Yugao blinked.

"It just hasn't come up much. Tokara retired as an active duty shinobi so it's often just me and Ibiki," Hayate chuckles, rubbing his neck. "We've been through a lot, even as chuunin exam proctors together."

"Can you tell us more about it?" Yuko glanced at them with sparkly eyes.

"Well… it started like this…" he began.

0o00o0

After their final test, Ino had bid farewell to Sakura, promising to catch up with her over the year. Since the last exercise they worked together, she noticed an odd change in her best friend. The first part, she had completely given up on the idea of romancing Sasuke. She doesn't know what, but something must have happened between the two of them when she was knocked out. But what?

She had also been spending a lot of time with Naruto's group a lot more. There was an odd determination she saw that she didn't quite notice until their last exercise. She took to improving her taijutsu and had her head in a scroll whenever they weren't talking. Even her accuracy was in improving. Her position of top kunoichi in the class was firmly secured and tied with Hinata-san. That didn't surprise her much. Sakura was always book smart. She felt her stomach churn. Now she was getting stronger too.

She wasn't jealous. No of course not. It didn't matter that Sakura was smart. It didn't matter that the losers of the class actually listened to her and acknowledged her strength. It didn't matter that some of their upperclassmen offered to help tutor Sakura. It didn't matter that Sakura was moving up in her studies while Ino stayed in place. No, it definitely didn't matter. Not at all.

Even now, Sakura was heading to the Aburame's for extra training. Chakra control or something like that. It's not like she wanted to do anything that boring anyway. Instead she would be spending her time running the flower shop, just as she did every break. She would wait until her father came by after his work session or after her mother came by to close up. She was fine doing this. She loved flowers after all, and it was only fitting.

It was another boring day as few civilian customers came and went. Minding the counter, she was free to flip through a magazine. When bell rang, signaling another customer entering, she was quick to close the magazine and greet them with a smile. "Welcome!"

A boy, he couldn't be much older than her, entered carrying a large pad. He was dressed with a black beret, in a dark gray shirt and black jacket. Ino couldn't help but stare, the boy was oddly pale, though not sickly in the least. There was something about him, as though she's seen him before… She quickly shook her head. It wasn't polite to stare at customers. Her mother would surely have her head for that.

He approached the counter, steps light and barely hearable. Perhaps he needed help? "Welcome. How may I help you?"

"Hello… Beautiful," he stopped, taking at the stool next to her. Her cheeks heated up at the compliment. It wasn't often guys acknowledged her beauty. Actually, she can't remember the last time a guy complimented her about her looks, let a lone a cute guy like the one in front of her. "Actually, I was just looking for some… inspiration."

"Inspiration?" Now she was curious.

"I'm an artist," He murmurs, opening his pad- no sketchbook, to show her. Her mouth lay wide open looking through the pages. She had never seen art like this before. "But I've been a little lost. Would you help me find my muse?"

"O-oh. Well… there are plenty of flowers around if you need some inspiration. We hold all kinds," She smiled shyly at him.

"I see… well, perhaps I could keep a conversation with you though?" He smiled right back, causing her to gulp. Well… it wouldn't hurt talking to such a cute boy. Especially once she learned their common interests. Why couldn't she have a boy (other than Sasuke) this cute in her academy class?

0o00o0

As soon as Karin got her clones memories, she smiled. Those two were useful, even if they gave basic details. After Ibiki left them to their devices they agreed she should head to the library with Sai and Yuko questioning their captives. Her clone would release them as a trade, and give her the information she'd need to start looking. T&I department… she could work with that.

Something current, he couldn't be that much older than Tou-san. She'd check Ninja files within the last 10-15 years. Though this couldn't be all she would be doing. She could go to Jiji, but he probably knew about the testing. Information gathering was about blending in with your environment to get the information you're looking for and books wouldn't be enough. With Yuko asking Neko, and Sai going to Ino (and be default her father at some point), that left the actual department to her. Of course she could also send a clone to Jiji. But she couldn't go as herself…

She shifted her glasses as she shuffled through the books. Naruto and Shino would be too obvious. Neko and Kaka-nii-san likely worked with him.

That's when it hit her. She couldn't stop the grin appearing on her face. Oh, how she had the perfect plan. Sending two clones out, she could barely hide her laughter. Oh, this was going to be fun.

0o00o0

A/N: Reminder, Kotetsu and Izumo are holding back. The reason they get caught is because they're focused on testing the kids without hurting them too badly. If the kids weren't ready, they had orders to knock them out. They thought they had the drop on the kids, but given Karin was able to sense them before hand, they were able to work accordingly.

With Lee's group, they are against genin who have not been through the changes of the academy. While they have training under jounin sensei, they still do not have the amount of training that each member of Team Gai has.

Also I figured since the clone technique is a basic technique required to past the anime, we should see more people using clones. Though different from kage bunshin, a normal bunshin does not always disappate from physical contact and as such I think they can be used to take hit. There is also potential to use for substitution techniques like what Tenten did.

Year 1 is heavily going to focus on the teams. However, after these exams (which I hope to be wrapping up next chapter) we'll get another view on Naruto and crew :3. I just wanted this chapter to focus on the older group. Because of the focus on older groups, we will be seeing more of Neji and Tenten :D

Playlist 2, Track 3- Centuries

The technique Yuko was using was the Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu, also known as the Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique, which she received from one of her scrolls. It is not yet perfected but performable.

snath- scythe handle

kontei-staff end

kusari- chain

fundo- weight

kashira-blunt edge of the sickle

kama-sickle

I have not started the next chapter yet so they will be some time before the next chapter is out. But this chapter was long over do. When I said I would finish it, It was a few weeks before finals, and I got hit with a large history project. It took a while to get back to this. Thank you for the patience!


End file.
